KEEPING TRACK - Arlee's A to Z - CHARACTERISATION

My favourite kind of Marilyn.

Your characters are populating and making the world you create real.

My favourite kind of Marilyn.

The words are flowing and the days are spinning out and – unless you are writing something like The Time Traveller’s Wife – they are running pretty much chronologically. So you have a problem. MC1 has had a lot of opportunity to speak throw-a-way/filler lines:

“Do you like my new top? Green. It’s my favourite colour.”

“I prefer honey on toast. But, strawberry jam will do; if that’s all you’ve got.”

“Green makes my skin look sallow.”

“Strawberry! I love that jam for breakfast.”

Unless your MC is conflicted, trying very hard to impress or is a compulsive liar it is a good idea to keep track of the details.

1.    KEEP TRACK

A card file is a good place to write all the details about each character. Notebooks, a stack of paper (lol) a few sticky notes all work. You could also create a folder in Excel or another programme specifically designed to make writing a novel easier.

Whichever method you use, keeping track of the large, and small, details about your character is a must. Keep it to hand when you are writing. This way, if your character gets to return in a second or subsequent book, you will be able to ensure there are no continuity errors.

Marilyn Manson/Marilyn Monroe is my favourite kind of Marilyn!

You can paint very different images by mistake.

2.    KEEP THE DETAILS

For each characters plan the basics:

·         Physical Description

·         Age

·         Personality

·         School/Occupation/Hobby/Interest

·         Relationships (family, friends, and acquaintances)

·         Motivation

·         Personal History Data

           

  As you are writing, keep note of any thing specific, for each character.

3.    KEEP DIFFERENTIATING

Physical differences - this is not usually a problem that affects the MCs – but if they cut their left knee against a wall you don’t want the blood dripping down the right

Personality traits and temperament – mostly, an easy task

There are two areas where additional care could make a big difference to the reader:

• Naming the characters
• Dialogue - finding different voices for each character so they can be easily differentiated.  

I read a novel where two female characters began with letter “S” – I found that hard enough to deal with. They were identikit-friends and I never could remember which had been where and done what.

4.    KEEP IT GLOBAL

Characters tend to have archetypal roles to play: villain, a lover or a trickster etc this is what makes books sell world wide.

The character could stand for something universal – more mythic or epic.

HOW ARE YOU KEEPING IT STRAIGHT?

KEEPING EMOTIONS AT HEART

Keen, kind, kindhearted, kindly, knackered, knowledgeable, kooky,kvetching