As promised, yesterday, I wanted to give you all a look, today, into my own interview/characterization process. These are the actual rough draft notes from Reclaiming Nick – my interview with my hunky hero, Nick Noble: Identity: Nicholas Noble, quiet strength, pensive, narrowed eyes, distrustful, coiled power, well of emotions, Age 30 6’1, hazel eyes Who am I? I’m a broken cop. A man who falsely put someone in jail…well twice, really because the first time, I blamed my father for betrayal, when in fact, I know now he didn’t betray me. I knew it then, also, but as a boy whose mother had died two years prior, it felt like betrayal to me to see him in Adele’s arms. It was a bad moment – I hit my father, […]
Read the RestArchive | December, 2007
Doctor’s Notes: Questions to ask your Hero!
Yesterday we talked about how to get your Hero to talk! Today, I thought I would give you a few pointers on WHAT to ask him once he starts talking! There are a few pointed questions to ask your hero (and it’s not what kind of car does he drive!) to unearth his deep issues and those things you can use to develop his character. Here are 3 Top Secret Questions to ask your hero: 1. What is the nightmare in your past that has made you the person you are today? Okay, so not everyone has turbulent pasts, but often, some decisive moment, a mistake, a tragedy, a misunderstanding, even a childhood prank can so deeply affect a character that he/she is still making choices based on that nightmare. […]
Read the RestAsk the Doc – Make him talk!
Q: My hero refuses to cooperate. He will only disclose bit and pieces about himself and it certainly inst’ about his dreams for his life. I do know his greatest fears. How do I get him to talk, or at least cooperate a little. Give me something to work with? A: I love this question! Yes, those dark, silent heroes can be the quiet types! And getting them to talk might need a little prompting. Get him started by giving him an identity – something or someone he stereotypes. Then, you can ask yourself what kind of issues might this kind of person have. For example, let’s say your hero is a forest ranger. But his identity is that of a hermit woodsman. Why? Maybe he prefers the quiet of […]
Read the RestPrescriptions: How to Hook your reader Wk 3
USE PERSONAL STAKES! Last week in Prescriptions we talked about finding the Public Stakes for your story to build a hook for your reader. But, what if my story doesn’t have Public Stakes? What if Ben Affleck isn’t saving the world from a terrorist’s bomb, but is just about a prairie girl who wants to win a horse race? There’s no public stakes there… Who remembers the story of Laura Ingalls Wilder where she rides her horse Bunny in a race against evil Nellie? Why does this story matter? Well, of course, evil Nellie hates that Laura has a horse, and persuades her mother to buy her a fancy horse from Mankato. Laura doesn’t have a chance. What’s worse, Mrs. Olsen mocks Caroline for being poor, and refuses to sell […]
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