Enhancing Character Growth

Character growth—the Holy Grail of writing. Even in a largely plot-driven narrative, novels which also depict their characters evolving add a richness and depth to the story.

I’m not a big fan of knowing exactly how your protagonist will develop. Oh, you might have a vague idea—a story of redemption, for example. But I think it works best if you start with an opening scene—depicting a greedy and callous man, for example—and letting things flow from there.

But you knew that I’d say that, didn’t you, since I generally advocate a haphazard approach to writing?

So, it follows that enhancing character growth is a post-first draft activity. Naturally, you’ve already spent a good deal of time developing and growing your character while writing the novel. This post helps you enhance or highlight the development to strengthen the story.

Character growth questions

Isolate the scenes where your target character appears. I often create separate file with them. Then, answer these questions:

How do you feel about the protagonist?

Really, do you like him? Or, with a really dark character, do you want him to get his comeuppance? Because if you don’t care, how will readers? There has to be enough, even from the beginning, to keep the reader hanging in. If you don’t glom onto the protagonist (can we call him Ben to save me typing?) fairly early, identify scenes which would do this.

What are the critical scenes where Ben grows?

Is this the way you want him to grow?

If so, are there any scenes which need to be strengthened?
If not, how would you like Ben to grow?
Identify some new scenes which might show the intent better.

Is the growth credible?

If Ben goes from crotchety old man to the life of the party in six pages, we have a problem.

Do the scenes transition Ben gradually to the desired end state?
Does each move build on what came before? Say Ben rescues a puppy (I’m not saying it’s a good novel). If this scene happens early on, Ben might hide his good deed because he thinks it shows weakness. The next spurt of growth needs to develop naturally from that point. He might buy better food for the dog, while complaining about the price and threatening to send him to the pound.
What scenes do you need to add or modify so that the evolution is credible?

Is the growth consistent?

Surprisingly, the answer to this question can often be ‘no’ when you read just Ben’s scenes. You may need him to further the plot by punching a cop which doesn’t jive with where he is in his personal growth. If you allow the plot to dominate, you damage the credibility of Ben’s journey of self-discovery because he’ll be seen to be jumping back and forth erratically.

Although this isn’t easy, identify the scenes where Ben’s actions aren’t consistent with his personal growth and figure out how to change the scenes to credibly accommodate both plot and character development.

You can follow this procedure for any character, but it’s a lot of work so I usually stick to the protagonist and characters whose essence eludes me at the moment.

This process may seem a bit mechanical and honestly, it is. But remember, this is not about creating the character. That is all about imagination and inspiration. This is enhancing what you’ve written to strengthen your intent.

May 22, 2020April 10, 2020

Appearing Naked on the Page

Naked on the page. Gives you shivers just thinking about it, doesn’t it? Even if you’re not quite sure what it means. Unfortunately, the explanation is not probably going to make you more comfortable.

What is being naked on the page?

I think my best writing has come when I am completely honest. No prettying up, no generous interpretations, no kind evasion. Being from a dysfunctional family, I write about the pain and cruelty, not about my mother’s cocktail parties.

Feels creepy, doesn’t it? I understand that. But it is, I believe, an important part of the humanity of the writer.

Why do I need to do it?

Stunning plot or appealing characters are important to your writing, but I believe that when readers ache for, identify with, and rejoice with a character, it is often because the writer has written from a place where she has allowed her rawest feelings to guide her writing.

Have you ever watched a stranger on TV cry? Because of the death of a loved one or other terrible experience. They show a vulnerability and openness which draws us in. Do we identify more with their plight? Do we like them more?

Yes and yes.

But it is not the tears themselves, I think, which move us but because we see part of their authentic, hurting self.

You also want to create that connection with a stranger (i.e. your protagonist) in your novel. And the only way I know how is to yourself be vulnerable and open when you write.

How do I do it?

Well, there’s no formula.

The best I can do is a tip which the author, W.O. Mitchell, gave and my first writing teacher, Barbara Turner-Vesselago, passed on to me. Go Fearward. That is, whenever you touch upon something from which you automatically shy away from, instead turn towards it. When your boyfriend said he was seeing somebody else; when you accepted your father was dying; when you betrayed your best friend.

Reach deep down and allow yourself to feel again the searing and write from that sear, not from the scar that has hidden it from view.

The only other thing I can give you is what I thought after following my writing teacher’s suggestion to write about my dysfunctional family.

I climbed the hill, the reluctance as strong as my panting. I wasn’t sure there was enough for a novel mostly because all I had was a feeling of a vast and terrifying darkness. Unrelieved abyss from which, on entry, one might never return. The dread of willingly consigning myself to years back in the hell. A hell from which, I thought, I had escaped.

But so strong was my wish to write, I ventured in. And found, to my growing delight, that it was not entirely a place of shadow and terror. That is was also of light and laughter. That in the wish to escape the night, I had forgotten the day. And also, in a bastardization of Shakespeare, that the remembering fed upon itself and I remembered more and more. So, in the long run, it was a gift. It gave me back who I was. Not all darkness, not all light. But me.

It is an act of bravery but one which I think writers must attempt if they wish to truly move their readers.

May 1, 2020April 9, 2020

Challenge Yourself in Your Writing

We of course want to concentrate on writing a good story. But because it is the pre-eminent goal doesn’t mean it has to be the only challenge you undertake. I have found my writing most personally satisfying when I learn something new, either technically or emotionally, as I am working on a project.

For example, in my novel Scam!, I wanted to write a novel with multiple Points of View (POV). I switched among four while also moving the plot forward. So when the main characters were all in the same scene, I had to pay special attention to staying within each worldview. That is, risk-taking Lauren can’t suddenly be timid to make the plot flow more smoothly. And carefree Chris can’t become a strategist. This way, I was writing what I wanted while increasing my facility with the craft.

What kind of challenge?

What writing challenge you undertake depends on where you are in your writing process.

Just starting out

If you are just starting, learning all you need to can seem daunting. But rather than being overwhelmed, remember that, like almost anything else, it is doable if you work on a chunk at a time.

What should you work on? Reread what you have written as if it is a stranger’s work and see if it prompts any ideas. If not, ask a friend to read it and discuss what he liked and what could be improved. However, remember that you need to know how to translate what your reader says into writerly action. Getting the Most Out of Readers’ Opinions discusses how.

If that doesn’t work, here are some suggestions.

Get rid of fancy-dancy speech tags like “he uttered, he shouted” and do the small fixes which still allow you to get across your intent. Read He Uttered! He exclaimed! for help.
Adverbs (gently, sadly, angrily) can be a short-cut way to describe emotion rather than showing what it looks and feels like. Address that using The Danger of Adverbs.
How we talk in real life—stuttering, pausing, repeating etc.—is perfectly okay. In real life. Even though fiction aims to simulate reality, fictional dialogue has its own rules. Find out what they are in Conversations versus Fictional Dialog.

Any of these would improve the quality of your writing and are eminently doable.

Farther along

If you’ve been writing for longer in either time or intensity, the best source of challenge is still a cool self-analysis of your writing. But here are some other possibilities.

Readers are most engaged by protagonists who fight to change things. But writers often like to write about those who like to observe the world. Like they do. Using the post, Don’t Write about Passive Observers—Like You, review your story to ensure you have an active heroine.
Besides writing great characters, you need to immerse your reader in a credible and captivating world. Use Creating the Fictional World to provide that.

So, write what interests you, of course. But try to include an aspect which challenges and increases the mastery of your craft. It will grow your confidence in your skill. It prevents you from getting stuck in a rut. And most of all, it’s fun.

April 24, 2020April 2, 2020

Should I Edit As I Go?

As I’ve already covered that I think really it’s a bad idea, mostly for your creative flow. This post will try to convince you that editing in the midst of creating a narrative can actually be harmful to the storyline.

Yes, yes, I know some famous authors are well-known for polishing every word until it shines before they go onto the next. Alistair MacLeod, of No Great Mischief, was one.

If you are focused primarily on the beauty of the language you use, then pausing and reflecting over every word may serve you well. But if your intent is primarily to tell a good story, editing as you go can almost literally stop you in your tracks.

Why shouldn’t I edit as I’m writing?

So here’s the thing.

I am sure that you have found yourself in a creative fog, immersed in the story you’re creating. You may not be totally sure where you’re going but it’s exciting and you’re exploring its possibilities. Wonderful. But say you suddenly stop and ask yourself, “Is that the correct spelling? Is it the word I really need? You look it up.

I think you’ll find that when you’re sure that the word is correct, the fog has dissipated and excitement gone. You may continue writing but the spark has disappeared.

Makes sense. Here you are, all in your right brain, reveling in the creativity and suddenly the left brain kicks in with its analysis and, unfortunately, criticism. You need both hemispheres to operate to turn out a good piece of writing. Just not both at the same time.

Don’t edit as you go along

The problem is that the right brain seems more timid, more easily chased away than the left. The left is always ready to jump in to point out an extra word, a confusion in pronouns, or a clunky phrase. Think of it as a useful but bossy friend.

But what you really want when writing is your right brain in full flight (well, you know what I mean), ready to take you to exhilarating heights. You need to hold onto this state as long as you can when you are writing.

How do you not do it?

Yes, easier to advocate than to action.

First, remind yourself that the session on which you are embarking is for writing, not editing. Even so, especially if you are prone to allow the left brain to kick in, it will initially be hard to stop it.

So, second, do not look anything up. You are writing a grand saga, and you begin to obsess on whether the frockcoat of the hero should have three buttons or four. Doesn’t matter. Just stick in your best guess and move on.

Third, assuage your left brain by highlighting any questionable words or passages. You can and should come back to these when you are editing.

These seem pretty simple and even obvious steps but they can be terrifically difficult for anyone used to letting the left brain horn in on the right brain’s time. Give each kid his time, just not at the same time.

April 10, 2020April 2, 2020

Creating a Believable World

In the last post, I Love The Handmaid’s Tale, I maintain that the characters work because they are in a world which rings true. How is this created?

What makes a story believable?

Science fiction writer John Wyndham’s gift was a unique ability to consistently create complete worlds. He wrote Day of the Triffids where everyone is blinded. I wanted to stop reading (too scary—see rule) but I couldn’t put it down. Similarly, the Midwich Cuckoos (filmed asVillage of the Damned)is the chilling story of alien children set to take over the world.

Wyndham’s genius is to present the reader, early on, with one unbelievable event. The plants which blind people in Triffids or the birth of the alien children by human mothers—Midwich. If you accept that event, everything else rolls out logically as the characters adapt to the change. Gangs of blind people enslave the few sighted ones to lead them to food; the alien children are in a special school because they’re too brilliant for ordinary education.

And thus a compelling and believable world is born.

So how do you make your fictional world as gripping, even without aliens?

How to make your fictional world realistic

One approach is to creating a realistic world is covered in my post, Creating the Fictional World. Below is another which is similar but different enough to warrant mention.

It helps to have a picture in your mind of a typical scene in your novel, whether main street, Wall Street, or fantasy. Doesn’t have to be fully formed and don’t bother writing it down. Just have it there as we walk through the following discussion.

How does the world affect/influence your main characters?

Pick a few characters (not a lot) and decide how the world influences their behavior. Is there pressure to conform in your small town world? Does the protagonist feel he has to live up to the world’s mythic figures?
Think of a scene which would show this quality to the reader. Write it.
As the novel develops, ask yourself this question again and write the scenes which illustrate the world’s influence.

How do your key characters react to the world?

Consciously try to get into your key characters’ heads
Work through the major events in your novel and consider how each of these characters might react.
For example, in Handmaid’s Tale, June/Offred and other Handmaids are ordered to stone a man. How is Aunt Lydia feeling? Perhaps satisfied but also trying to suppress her underlying misgivings. How is June feeling? Repulsed by it but knows she can say nothing. How is another Handmaid feeling? Perhaps she has been completely hoodwinked and allows her most animalistic urges to find expression. They are going to act differently because they feel differently. How do you show that?

In this way, you can help to build a credible world into which your reader can sink.

Will this guarantee a compelling world?

I really, really want to say, “Absolutely,” but I know I can’t. Whether this works depends on a myriad of things—the setting you’ve chosen, the characters in it, the plot, your mastery of the craft of writing. In other words, the whole shebang.

But being aware that the world you create can and should affect your characters will help to create a continuous dream for your readers. What we all want.