Worderella’s How to Make a Character Map
Dear Reader,
After giving you a taste of Haunting Miss Trentwood, I thought it would be nice if I showed you one of the many ways I keep track of who I'm writing about, how they relate to one another, etc.
I love pen and paper, and could probably buy out any office supply store in the blink of an eye (that is, if I had unlimited funds, which, thankfully, I do not).
That said, I'm sure it wouldn't surprise you to hear that I adore Post-it notes. The image in this post shows how I visualize the love triangle(s) from Haunting Miss Trentwood. I would make the image bigger but then it might spoil some of the plot twists!
You see, dear Reader, this is a sort of map for me. I use this to remind me where tensions occur between characters. I'm color code so I know which character is part of which plot or subplot, and then I draw arrows with visuals to tell me the generics about the relationships.
I was thrilled to read Deanna Raybourn's blog when she said she does something similar: a collage of images that help inspire her current work-in-progress. I love learning other types of writing exercises that don't—shock!—require you to write. I need to make things because I am a Maker. I need to use my hands while I'm figuring something out, even something as cerebral as a plot twist. And then after I've made the thing, I want to share how I did it. Like this.
How to make a Character Map
- Have a crummy day at work.
- Have an awesome conversation on Facebook.
- Grab a tabloid-sized sheet of paper, multiple colors of small sticky notes, a pen, and a pencil.
- Write the names of the main characters on different colors of the sticky notes. Try to group the characters based on their primary plot lines.
- Play around with the configuration of the character sticky notes on the page until you can get them to fit, and represent the relationships.
- Draw arrows from one sticky note to the other to show direct connections.
- Use dotted lines to show indirect connections.
- Use a pencil because you might make a mistake and try to draw one arrow over another.
- To keep the character map legible, try to arrange the stick notes so you won't have to cross arrows.
- Have fun with it! I drew a funny angry face to show antagonists, hearts to show love interests, and broken hearts to show tragedy.
- Put the character map somewhere you can glance at when you need inspiration.
I had so much fun with this, I might do it for the relationships I have in my life, and use it as a sort of art piece in my apartment. Or as a way for me to remember who is who at work. Learning the organizational scheme of a new workplace is always so stressful...
All the best,
Belinda
Checking In
Hello everyone!
Yes, I am alive. I apologize for my absence. Graduate school takes up far more time than I realized, and now I am working full-time in an internship that requires too much of my creativity... I come home exhausted yet satisfied.
Loyalty Contest
I realize I've probably lost a lot of my readership, so if you're still around, thank you for sticking with me. Make sure to comment and tell everyone what you've been up to lately. One of the commenters will receive a free copy of my "best of" book, Worderella On Writing. The 52 pg book contains my most popular posts for your scribbling pleasure. As a full disclosure, I make one dollar per purchase.
The winner will be notified/announced next week.
Writing
In terms of writing, I was a little burned out from my fiction class this last semester. However, the class improved my writing tremendously, and I wouldn't give up that experience for the world. Word Nerd was kind enough to provide comments for Trentwood's Orphan, the entire draft, and boy do I have some work to do. On the one hand, it seems she liked it, on the other hand, I was obviously way too close to the story because what I thought was clear about the characters was actually very muddy.
I have a lot of work to do. But now that I've taken a six-month break from the work, and a month-long break from writing in general, I think I'm ready for it. Wish me luck!
Guest Posts
Do you have a topic you'd like to talk about? Are you new to self-publishing, a veteran, or somewhere in-between? Do you have editing and/or writing tips that others could learn? Submit your idea and we'll work out deadline. Make sure to provide a summary of your idea.
Find a Friend Dialogue Exercise
Today in class we talked about the mechanics of dialogue, and how it's a weakness for some writers and a strength for others. We read Robert Bausch's short story, "Aren't You Happy For Me?", which I suggest you all read as an excellent example of external conflict (the dialogue) and internal conflict (the exposition).
You should also read David Foster Wallace's "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men" for another type of story where the dialogue is the entire story. Not only that, but he only provides half of the conversation, leaving the reader to fill in the gaps. Disturbing and brilliant.
Besides talking about the pitfalls of dialogue, which can include talking heads and over-philosophizing, we talked about exercises that we each use as a way to strengthen our dialogue-writing skills.
I admitted to being a closet eavesdropper. One of the guys in the class pulled out a tiny composition book and admitted to taking it with him to the bar, which inspired another guy to pull out his own tiny notebook meant for the same purpose.
For our class exercise, we had to pair up and write a conversation together. This was a lot of fun. My partner and I began giggling because we were writing an argument that started over the lack of peanut butter... it was, as Dane Cook describes, a "nothing" fight. Yet, under the surface, there was real conflict. Amazing what can come out of five minutes of passing a journal back and forth.
Try this exercise with a friend of yours, whether they're a "writer" or not. It's a lot of fun, and inspires new story ideas, guaranteed.
- The first writer pulls out a piece of paper and begins their dialogue with the words "I'm sorry, but...". They complete the sentence and pass the journal to their partner.
- The partner, after reading the sentence,writes a line (or paragraph) of dialogue which heightens the tension.
- Keep passing the journal back and forth, trying to throw curve balls at one another without delving into the absurd.
- Try not to rely on dialogue tags to reveal how the character is speaking.
- In fact, don't use dialogue tags at all. Rely on your word choice and punctuation.
Do you have a favorite dialogue exercise? Let us know in the comments.
Big Day
Well, with a day full of classes and the inauguration, I managed to forget to post. Bad Belinda! I don't really have a lot to say, other than the fact that I submitted my first short short story (five pages), and I'm terrified to hear the critique. I'm also looking forward to it. But still terrified.
Anyway, as a historical fiction writer, a part of me has to wonder... what will future historical writers say about this day? Any speculations? Try to put yourself in the shoes of a historical fiction writer, trying to capture this day. If you had one paragraph, what would you write?
And please, no flame wars. If you don't agree with what is written in the comments, please just ignore it.
Fairy-tale Inspired Books
Happy holidays! I thought I'd throw out a fun Tuesday Thirteen list today, this one having a theme of fairy-tale inspired books.
I haven't read some of these books in ten years, but for some reason they still haunt me. Here are my favorite fairy-tale inspired books (in no particular order)! I had to cap it at thirteen otherwise the list might never end. Though, there is a shortage of good fairy tale re-tellings, for some reason... I wonder why that is? Are there any really good ones I should know about that aren't on this list?
- Spindle's End - Robin McKinley
- Enchantment - Orson Scott Card
- Spellbound - Ru Emerson
- Golden - Cameron Dokey
- Seven Daughters and Seven Sons - Barbara Cohen and Bahija Lovejoy
- The Book of Atrix Wolfe - Patricia McKillip
- Deerskin - Robin McKinley
- Briar Rose - Jane Yolen
- The Door in the Hedge - Robin McKinley
- Phoenix and Ashes - Mercedes Lackey
- The Lark and the Wren - Mercedes Lackey
- The Pearl of the Soul of the World - Meredith Ann Pierce
- Sabriel - Garth Nix
Actually, there is this one retelling of the frog prince and I can't remember the title of it.
I do know that the prince was turned into a frog as part of a magical conspiracy, and that the princess/girl fell in love with him when he was a frog, and that his own brother/uncle/relative throws him across the room so he hits the wall with a sickening crack. The girl, distraught, thinks the frog died, but he actually just broke the spell by angering his relative into chucking him across the room.
Anyone know the book I'm talking about? It was really good. Anyone have any books to add to the list?
Contest Results and a Book Meme
Drumroll please...
The winner of the free Worderella critique contest is: Jaye Patrick!
Congratulations! E-mail your first three chapters/first 50 double-spaced pages to worderella at gmail dot com by Thursday Aug 7, along with information about your word processor so I know how to submit my critique.
Now, I rarely do these things, but this meme had questions I'd like to read from other writers as well. And after last week's intense editing, I thought we could all use a break and do something quick and fun.
Post your answers in the comments or on your blog (but make sure to comment and let me know where to look!).
Hardcover or paperback, and why?
Hardcover, because my hands don't cramp as much when I read for long periods of time. That, and there's something delicious about picking up a well-done hardcover book. Especially if it's fabric-covered.
If I were to own a book shop I would call it…
Bookmark. I agonized over this longer than necessary... about three hours.
My favorite quote from a book (mention the title) is…
"[Anne Elliot] had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older: the natural sequel of an unnatural beginning." From Persuasion by Jane Austen
The author (alive or deceased) I would love to have lunch with would be…
Jane Austen. Have you read her letters? The woman is hilarious.
If I was going to a deserted island and could only bring one book, except from the SAS survival guide, it would be…
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. I think I'd just dream about Mr Thornton all the time. As long as Mr Thornton actually had Richard Armitage's face, demeanor... everything.
I would love someone to invent a bookish gadget that…
Records a list of every book I've ever read, as well as my thoughts about it (without me having to do any work), so I'd know which books shaped my awareness of the world.
The smell of an old book reminds me of…
My childhood. Safety. Companionship. Well-weathered friends. Reading late in bed.
If I could be the lead character in a book (mention the title), it would be…
Margaret Hale from Gaskell's North and South (see above). Or Mary Smith from Gaskell's Cranford.
The most overestimated book of all times is…
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown.
I hate it when a book…
Says "Had it been under other circumstances, she might have found the hero attractive..."
Let's face it. She still finds him attractive, he's just ticking her off right now, so just say that. We all know she's probably going to end up with him by the end of the book. It's okay if he annoys her. Annoying people are attractive too... which makes them more annoying, of course.
Thank you to everyone who participated in Editing Week here at Worderella Writes. The response was positive and enthusiastic, which was all I could ask for.
A reminder to my commenters: I'm always interested in a guest blogger, so feel free to contact me. The same goes for linking in the blogroll, which I finally organized. Use my contact form to send your URL, blog/website name, and a pithy description and I'll add you to the list.
Inspiration from Clever Television
I choose my television and movie choices carefully (most of the time). If I listed my favorite tv series, a pattern of character-driven plots will emerge (Pushing Daisies, The Office, Gilmore Girls, 30 Rock, Arrested Development, Dead Like Me...). This makes sense because my fiction is character-driven. Maybe I should watch shows that are more about the plot, so I don't have blindspots? In any case, today I'm writing about one show and one movie that inspire me, and I hope you'll share yours!
Pushing Daisies is a delightful, narrated mystery show about a man named Ned who can bring the dead to life with the touch of his finger. There is a catch, however: a second touch will kill the person forever. And it turns out that if Ned lets the person stay alive for more than a minute after his special touch, someone else must die in their place. Things get juicy when he brings his childhood sweetheart back to life. If he lets her live, someone else must die in her place. If he touches her once, ever, she will be dead forever.
Would you believe me if I said this was a comedy? I love this show because of how clever the writers are with Ned and Chuck's situation (Chuck is short for Charlotte). Thanks to the narrator, the mood is reminiscent of the most recent movie rendition of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Really, it's like sitting down to story time every week. Look for it this fall, I bet you'll like it.
Now in terms of movies, am I the only one who saw Penelope, that movie starring Christina Ricci? And loved it? This is a fairy tale about a girl cursed with a pig's nose until she is loved and accepted by one of her own. This movie is straight-forward, and some claim it failed at teh fairy-tale attempt, but this is a movie of characters, each with a motive, each with something to learn. Everyone learns something in this movie (all the main and secondary characters, anyway). I found it charming and refreshing for the simple reason that the heroine is her own hero.
So here's something I've always wondered about my fellow writers/readers. They always say writers should read a lot, a statement I heartily agree with. But what about other media outlets? Do you feel television and movies can inspire you, or does it blunt your creativity? Are there certain shows you watch precisely because it sparks your imagination? Tell all!
Blog Categories
- About Writing (165)
- Book Reviews (56)
- Business (23)
- Everyday Life (55)
- Marketing (30)
Meet & Greet
Agent Blogs
- Absolute Write
- Agent Query
- Association of Authors' Representatives
- BookEnds LLC Lit Agency
- Miss Snark
- Preditors & Editors
