Category Archives: Literary characters

December 7, 2015 · 11:31 am

The little book that could…

It is no secret to anyone who knows me or has ever read an interview I’ve done, THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD is hands down my favorite book of all time. Even at the age I am now ( 21++++,etc) I still feel the message in that children’s book is the most empowering one I’ve ever read. The entire book screams with the treatise of self-motivation and dedication to a goal. That little engine thought he could get over that mountain, and because he had confidence in himself and self-will  and determination, he did.

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I’ve started writing a new series of books about another family ( of course!). My MacQuire Women series is almost complete, so when the idea for this new family burst in my brain, I went with it. The reason I’m telling you this is because the first thing I do after the idea pops up is to discover my characters and their motivations. Why a character acts the way she does, does the things she does, and says what she says is very important for me to know ahead of the writing. I’ve said before that using Deb Dixon’s book Goal, Motivation and Conflict (GMC) has been instrumental in helping me get inside the heads of my peeps and knowing what’s what with them. The book makes you dig deep into your characters to find out what their internal and external goals  are, what’s behind their motivations for each, and then asks you to detail the conflicts that will make attaining their goals difficult.

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I usually devise one wipe board per book with my major characters on it, listing the GMC’s.  Here’s the current one for the new series. This is book one, as of yet untitled.  You can’t really tell from this shot, but I’ve got my heroine, hero  and the “villain” all plotted out here. What they want, how they can get it and what will keep them from achieving their goals.

This keeps me focused – something I have real trouble with – and will hopefully eliminate plot holes along the way. Sometimes I do discover something about the character I didn’t know in the beginning and it will be added to this board, with the concurrent problems and motivations added.

Character Motivation is important when writing, especially in writing romances because if we didn’t give our characters fully formed goals and obstacles, there wouldn’ be anything interesting to write about. It would simply be boy meets girl. Boy gets girl. The End.

Boring, no?

COMING SOON:: 3 Wishes, A Candy Hearts Story…check back soon for buy links! 2/8/16 release from The Wild Rose Press

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December 3, 2015 · 1:19 pm

Do the clothes really make the man?

Mark Twain anyone? HeeHee

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Keeping in tune with the character mannerisms, quirks, tricks, etc. theme, clothing is a very important part of your character’s persona. Unless, of course, you’re writing about a nudist colony.

How you dress the people of your creativity is important for a number of reasons. Clothing  can and will:

1. express the socio-economic situation of the character. ( homeless vs billionaire)

2. show the character’ s taste level ( slutty vs Princess Di)

3. show the character’s profession ( rock star vs surgeon)

4. show the heroine’s feelings about herself ( a put together outfit vs a pair of old tattered sweat pants and wifebeater tee)

I’m sure you can think of several other reasons as well it is important to have your character wear the right clothes.

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It can also give you a great deal of insight into their minds and how they operate.

Take one of my favorite TV characters, Magnum P.I. ( Le sigh**)  Magnum always gave you the impression he was a little laid back, maybe not too savvy, and more flash than substance. He was dressed perpetually in a loud Hawaiian flowered shirt and his favorited Dodgers ballcap was always covering his badly in need of a trim curly hair. Bad guys were always fooled  by his laissez-faire demeanor. What they never got was his style of dress was meant to give that impression. If you’ve  watched the shows ( and my God, why haven’t you??!) you’ll know that lackadaisical attitude was a front for one helluva smart and astute Private Investigator…who just happened to look uber-hot when he drove that red Ferrari around the island. Magnum’s wardrobe spoke volumes.

 

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Another favorite sleuth of mine is the original Murder She Wrote character, Jessica Fletcher, portrayed by the remarkable and talented Angela Lansbury. Jessica Fletcher looked like exactly what she was: a retired English teacher, living in a cottage in Maine, penning murder novels on her old beat up manual typewriter. She looked and dressed like everyone’s favorite maiden aunt. Comfortable slacks, sneakers, a sweatshirt covering a white blouse. Boring and typical. Again, this was an illusion for the quick witted, smart brained, fascinating character she really was. Jessica was frequently the smartest person in any room she was in, and the most perceptive. Like Agatha Christie’s Jane Marble, Jessica ( in the early seasons of the show) rarely left her little village, but she had the uncanny knack of being about to rout out evil just by thinking like a murderer. Fascinating stuff.

I’ve mentioned before how Columbo would never have been Columbo without that tattered trench coat he always had on.

A final one, if you’ll let me. Gone with The Wind, my personal favorite war book and  movie has a fantastic scene in it affectionately called ‘The curtain scene.” Scarlett, left destitute from the ravages of the civil war needs to present herself as a woman who is not a downtrodden war survivor, but exactly what she has always been, a spoiled, petted Southern belle. She has Mammie make a magnificent gown from the tapestry drapes in Tara’s Parlor so she can perpetuate the image she wants.  Here’s one of the funniest parodies I’ve ever seen of this scene. Enjoy.

And just because I like this to be interactive…what are some outfits you’ve decked your characters in?….Let’s discuss.

 

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December 1, 2015 · 10:05 am

Speak and they will listen..

Since I’ve been on the topic of mannerisms of late, how about we discuss how your characters speak and the idiosyncratic styles they each have? This is a fun topic for me any time of day or night.
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I’ve said before that I was born in Brooklyn, NY and lived in NYC for the first 27 years of my life. When I open my mouth and start to speak, you automatically can hear where I’m from. I have a tendency to drop the letter R at the ends of words ( which is why I refer to girls as sistahs), my “Th” sounds come out sounding like the letter “d”, so you’ll hear me say Dat for That. I speak as quickly as a lightning flash and use my hands expressively a great deal. All these verbal tags and mannerisms tell you I’m probably a New York kind of girl.

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Last year I was in San Antoni for the RWA conference. Most of the people who originate from that region and the ones I came in contact with at the hotel and in the city said “y’all” and “rightly so” a bunch of times in their adorable Texas twang.

Two weeks ago I was Las Vegas. Many of the employees in the hotel I was staying in were from the Philippines and addressed every person every time they came in contact with them as Ma’am or Sir. In their country this a severe sign of respect for the individual they are addressing.

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So, having shared this, some of the ways you can make your characters jump off the page to the reader and make them come alive, is to know how they speak.  Can you hear each character in your books speaking in their own style, or does every character sound the same to you? I read my dialogue out loud all the time just so I can be sure one person doesn’t sound exactly like another. Do your characters all use the same words and phrases when they speak? Again, this can get boring and confusing for the reader. For instance, doctors are highly educated people and use a certain vocabulary the average person doesn’t. You wouldn’t want your immigrant, unable-to-read-and-write character who is a patient be able to understand what a doctor is telling him. That just doesn’t ring true. Nor would a scientist and a four year be able to communicate on the same level. Unless of course the kid was a prodigy.talkingmeme

One of my favorite characters that I am currently writing is a ninety-two-year-old Irish immigrant grandmother who continually speaks in malapropisms. It gets her into some funny and outrageous situations, but it rings true when she speaks the words incorrectly, because she thinks they are correct.talkingmeme6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, if your character is smart, does she speak like she’s educated?  Did your hero come from the South, because if he did, he’d be polite in his conversations with people, saying “please”, Ma-am, and so forth. Got a Canadian in-law? Make sure you round those vowels.

All these special little touches will make your characters more attractive, honest, appealing, and most importantly to your readers, Real.

So…you know what’s coming. How do you make your characters sound all like individuals and not robots….Let’s discuss.

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November 23, 2015 · 12:42 pm

Mannerisms mean more…

I’m currently reading an exceptional book titled, Getting Into Character: 7 Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors, by Brandilyn Collins. Collins shows you how using the techniques actors use to “get inside the heads of their characters” can help you flesh out more realistic, memorable characters of your own in your writing. One of the fascinating aspects of this is developing and incorporating character traits or mannerisms.

Each one of us has some individual mannerism that helps define and shape how we present ourselves to others. For example, when I get nervous around people ( which is most of the time!) I have a habit of folding my hands in front of myself because they tend to shake and I don’t want anyone to notice the shaking. In my latest book. First Impressions, I gave that mannerism to my heroine, Clarissa, because she, too, is nervous when she meets new people. The hero notices it and whenever he spots this behavior, he attempts to quell her nerves. I know… le sigh!

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I know someone who, when she gets angry, instead of blustering and bellowing with rage, becomes deathly quiet and speaks so lowly, it forces everyone around her to listen. What a powerful tool that is. I’m incorporating it into my next heroine.

Think of characters you have read or seen on television. What quirks made them memorable? Would Columbo have been as memorable if it hadn’t been for the way he cocked his head, squinted an eye and said, “just one  more thing, if I may?” How about Magnum, P.I.? Forget about Tom Selleck’s moustache for a moment and think about the way he lifted his eyebrows and grinned whenever he wanted to be charming. Worked for me. Or how about Arthur Fonzerelli, aka The Fonz? Would he be as cool and remarkable if he hadn’t entered every room saying “Ayyyyyyy?” Or more recently, what about Fox Muldur and all those sunflower seeds he was perpetually eating?Columbo_resize_2

Think of some of your own favorites, because as you can see, these all date me as a 70’s and 80’s chick!

 

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In an old Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot book, whose title I can’t for the life of me remember, Poirot was able to catch a criminal who was an expert at disguises because whenever the bad guy ate bread, he would pull it apart into little pieces. Poirot spotted the guy doing this at a cafe and voila! Bad guy caught.

I think for the next few posts I’ll be discussing character development this way, and referring to the Collins book.

But first, here’s a sigh worthy photo:

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Le sigh*****

So, what character traits do you find fascinating, in books, or tv, or movies? Let’s discuss….

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October 19, 2015 · 10:01 am

NANOWRIMO primer

As I have for the past 3 years, I will be participating in this years NANOWRIMO competition. Writers know what this stands for. If you don’t, it’s National Novel Writing Month.

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As a kick-off, my Wild Rose Press Sistah, Angela Hayes is hosting me today. Come read about what NANOWRIMO means to me, personally, as a writer.  Here’s the link. Drop by and let me know if you are participating this year, Let’s discus….

 

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October 5, 2015 · 9:54 am

Books-to-Movie Adaptations.

We all have a favorite book that we would just love to see made in to the best movie ever. We can name the celebs we want to star in it, the location,  the director and maybe the music composer. I recently did a shout out to my Facebook peeps, asking them to tell me their favorite book-to-movie adaptations. Some of the replies included:

Girl Interrupted

CiderHouse Rules

The Horse Whisperer

The Firm

The Notebook

A Time To Kill

The Shining

Hunger Games

Sense and Sensibility

and my favorite: The Kiera Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice

All of these books were fabulous as were their movies and I saw and read them all, so I have to agree with the choices.

We’ve all read and fallen in love with books that we wish, hope, and dream will be made into a movie worthy of the book. Many times, tho, that dream falls short and dies on the cutting room floor for whatever reason. I think the above movies were such good adaptions of the books they were based on because many things came together well. Great casting, a rich screenplay and a screenwriter who actually got the book and characters, a director who stayed true to the writer’s vision and excellent settings.  All of the above films had wonderful casts – I mean, really, Robert Redford, Matthew McConaughey, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Sandra Bullock, Ryan Gosselin, Charleze Theron…..come on. Big screen royalty, one and all. The scripts actually used dialogue from the books ( always the best way to go!), and the directors didn’t try to insinuate their visions into the movie – they took their own and adapted them to fit the book – again, always the best way to go!

SO, what was your favorite book-to-movie adaptation, and why? Let’s discuss….

If they made a movie of my recent book FIRST IMPRESSIONS ( shameless plug, here!) I’d like it to star Matt Bomber as Padric and Julia Roberts during her Steel Magnolias era as Clarissa. Two very hot peeps! Those of you who have read my book – and God Bless you always! – what do you think of my choices??

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September 19, 2015 · 7:44 am

One Sexy Boy

This week’s theme for My Sexy Saturday is: One Sexy Boy

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We all know it just takes one sexy boy to get us going. That boy will turn into the man of our dreams. They can start out on the wrong side of the tracks, the right side of the tracks, the rich side or even the poor side. They can be good or they can be bad, we will love them all the same. They can space ship captains or one who is hired to protect us with their lives. They can be farmers and casino owners and the list goes on and on. But all of them started out as one sexy boy. They give us hidden looks, a longing gaze, with love’s promise shining in their eyes and all the things that come with love.  We love sexy and it’s always so fun to share.

Readers want to see those characters, the ones who can’t get enough of each other as well as ones who are fighting their way back to being part of the world once again. These are the types of characters they can’t forget, the one they want to take home and keep forever. Readers love the kisses, the looks or touch of each and every one of our characters.

Sexy has nothing to do with looks or status or even wealth. It doesn’t demand perfection and it isn’t pretentious but it does make us want to read those books.

We know that everyone has their own idea of sexy and we all love sexy!

Here’s a snippet from my new release FIRST IMPRESSIONS.

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When she heard Pat’s low, calm voice, she realized where the kitten was. She donned the shirt he’d pulled off the night before in his haste to get as naked as she and padded out to the kitchen.

He stood at the stove, shirtless, low-slung sweatpants covering a butt her fingertips itched to squeeze. The muscles in his back rippled while one hand turned the bacon in a frying pan with a fork, the other held the kitten close, her little body perched up on one of his massive, naked shoulders. The sight of this big, brawny, hard as steel-bodied man holding the tiny kitten so lovingly, stopped her heart.

“Your mommy should be waking up soon,” Pat told the kitten, rubbing his chin along its back. He pushed the frying pan to a back, unlit burner. “Let’s get you fed.” He turned and spotted her.

“Hey.” His wide smile disappeared almost instantly. Placing the kitten down on the floor, he moved to her lightning quick. “Clarissa, what’s wrong?” He pulled her into his arms.

“Nothing’s wrong.” With a sniff, she wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Then why are you crying?” His hands smoothed up and down her back, the natural heat from his body warming her inside and out.

She pushed away and swiped at the tears. The eyes peering back at her were filled with worry. She touched his cheeks, the feel of the scratchy stubble across them igniting something deep and sensual inside her, and said, “Because I’ve never woken up happier in my life as I did two minutes ago.”

His brow cleared and his grip tightened.

Visit My Sexy Saturday to discover a whole bunch more super sexy boyfriends.

Buy links for First Impressions:

Amazon    The WIld Rose Press   Barnes and Noble Nook

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September 14, 2015 · 9:10 am

An homage to Lizzy Bennett….

It’s no secret Pride and Prejudice is my all time favorite romance novel. I’ve written ad nauseam about my love for it. Gone with The Wind comes close, but I always view that book more of a love tragedy than a triumph. One of the reasons P&P is so near and dear to my heart is its heroine, the feisty, intelligent, loyal Elizabeth Bennett. I put her right up there with Xena. Lizzy may not have been a warrior princess, defending land and country with a spear and a wicked drop kick, but she is certainly – in my humble opinion – a kick-ass romance chickita.

I recently read a very good piece titled 9 Reason’s we will always love Elizabeth Bennett. These include:

  • She never received a formal education, but made sure to educate herself.
  • She was confident and sure of herself, and even someone as imposing as Mr. Darcy couldn’t intimidate her.
  • She always put her family first
  • And would definitely have nothing to do with a man who dared to insult them.
  • She wouldn’t accept a partner for reasons less than love…
  • An ideal she stuck to, in spite of the fact that marrying Collins would have given her financial security, something no woman in her time could get on her own.
  • She understood the importance of kindness over money and a harp tongue
  • She never, ever took advantage of Mr. Darcy’s feelings for her
  • And she always, always spoke her mind.

To sum all that up, Lizzy didn’t take anyone’s crap, be it from the snivelingly Mr Collins, who could make her family’s future miserable, or from the snotty Lady Catherine de’Bourge, a high born woman of power and influence. She stayed true to herself as a woman and as a person,  believed love conquered all, and that marriage should be for love and nothing else.

See? Kick-Ass romance chickita!

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August 3, 2015 · 9:18 am

What book would you bring to a deserted island if you were stranded and could only have only one?

(And I’m not talking about bringing the Kindle here, loaded with millions of titles. It’s a real, paper and ink book we’re discussing today.)

Tough question? Yes, it is, that’s why I’m asking it. You need to dig deep here, kids.

Answers could include everything from the Bible to War and Peace; David Copperfield to Gone with the Wind; Harry Potter book 1 to The fault is in our Stars.

Depending on what genre you like to read, it could be a non-fiction bestseller, an autobiography, a sports book or even Camping for Dummies (hey, you ARE stranded on a deserted island, you know.)

For myself it’s a no-brainer. I’d bring Pride and Prejudice.

Why would I bring a book whose story is over 250 years old, you ask. Well, I’m glad you did.

As a lover of romance novels – and a writer of the same – Pride and Prejudice for me is the penultimate story of love. It has everything a romance book should have: a strong female lead; a tortured, romantic hero, miscommunication, drama, betrayal, several black moments, a wonderful story-line, and most of all a happily ever after ending that endures for all time.

I think I’ve read this book – no lie – two dozen times since I was 11. The first time I read it the language gave me a bit of difficulty – hey, I was a  tween! – and I had trouble understanding some of the plot. I did think Mr Collins was odious, though, even at that tender age, a thought I still have to this day.

I read it again for high school English. This time around, though, I was able to gleam more about the plot and I remember wondering why Lizzy didn’t try to talk Charlotte out of marrying Mr Collins. If she was a true friend, she should have. I also remember it was at this time in my life I began to see Darcy for the hunkadoodledoo he was.

College brought the next reading and by now I loved Lizzy for her strength of character and her loyalty and – even though I knew the end of the story – I prayed she would wind up with Darcy and not the narcissistic Wickham.

The next several times I read the book were after relationship breakups. I’d read the book cover to cover while inhaling cartons of Milano cookies and Pepperidge farm layer cakes. Then I’d watch the BBC rendition with Colin Firth as Darcy. This always made me feel so much better and got me through the downside of the breakups.

After I was married and the Kiera Knightley movie version came out, I read it again a few times and was impressed with how easy it now was to understand the language. Much more so than when I was 11 and had an untrained English lit ear.

Through all of the re-reads, though, I have never once been disappointed with the story. I know some of the page dialogue by heart and can quote Lizzy’s infamous dismissal speech to Darcy verbatim. The story stands up to time and differing cultures, class and age group demographics.

If I could only take one book to read on that island until I was (hopefully) rescued, it would always be Pride and Prejudice.

And in the event I could take two…..

My most recent book, THE VOICES OF ANGELS.

Blurb:

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Love is the last thing Carly Lennox is looking for when she sets out on her new book tour. The independent, widowed author is content with a life spent writing and in raising her daughter. When newscaster Mike Woodard suggests they work on a television magazine profile based on her book, Carly’s thrilled, but guarded. His obvious desire to turn their relationship into something other than just a working one is more than she bargained for.

Mike Woodard is ambitious, and not only in his chosen profession. He wants Carly, maybe more than he’s ever wanted anything or anyone else. As he tells her, he’s a patient man. But the more they’re together, Mike realizes it isn’t simply desire beating within him. Carly Lennox is the missing piece in his life. Getting her to accept it-and him-may just be the toughest assignment he’s ever taken on.

Buy Links: Amazon /// TWRP /// Kobo /// Nook

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August 2, 2015 · 10:03 am

Who is your favorite Villain?

The person we love to hate; the man we’d like to see incarcerated for life; the woman who needs to be bitch-slapped right now. These are the characters we call Villains.

The true definition of a villain is: the person or thing responsible for specified trouble, harm, or damage.

In romance novels the villain can be:

  • the old flame who comes back into the hero’s life, flooding the heroine with doubts about his love
  • an ex-spouse, or co-worker, or a boss
  • a parent or family member who wants to break the hero and heroine up for any number of selfish reasons
  • ANYONE who has a vested interest in pulling the love interests apart.

Some of my favorite characters are what could be termed villains. They are all self -serving, narcissistic and (mostly) devoid of principles.

Here are a few of my favs:

Caroline Bingley, Pride and Prejudice. The quintessential bitch in a ball gown.

Rochester’s first wife, Jane Eyre. Truly,  one insane biatch.

Briony Tallis, Atonement. (most people won’t agree with me on this one because Briony sets out to atone for her acts, but for much of the novel, she’s the bad guy, and therefore a villain in my mind.

Mrs. Danvers, Rebecca. The original psycho-bitch.

Iago, Othello. Master manipulator and jealous creepazoid.

The best villains I’ve ever read, though, are those characters everybody likes and would never suspect are performing acts of villainy. The good ‘ole southern girl in who’s mouth butter wouldn’t melt, while she’s backstabbing the s**t out of our heroine; the charming rake with a grin a soccer field wide who’s stripping the company’s bankroll bare. Walt Disney had this thing  for step-mothers cast in the role of villains – a true mommy complex if there ever was one. Ever see Dangerous Liaisons?  Best villains EVER.

And of course the best part of reading a book with a good villain is the scene where he/she gets their comeuppance. I live for Karmic payback scenes, absolutely live. Since I’m not quick on the witty repartee comeback ( I need to think and think…and think some more before it’s absolutely a perfect zinger), I appreciate people who are. There’s nothing more satisfying to me than seeing someone get what’s coming to them if they’ve been a rotter to our dear H/H. Remember the last scene in Dangerous Liaisons when Glenn Close gets booed and hissed at during the opera? I booed and hissed at the television right along with the pretend French people in the movie. I know…I’m a little off the beaten track, but hey: I’m happy.

So, dig into your memory banks. Who’s your favorite villain and why? Let’s discuss…

 

 

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