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Book Therapy Prescriptions: Listen to Me! How to craft a character that resonates week #2

By on September 20, 2007 in Uncategorized

Last week we talked about sitting down with your character and getting to the bottom of who he thinks he is (I feel as if I’m talking to one of my teenagers – WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, MISTER?) to discover their values, dreams and fears. WHY? Because we want to make them SUFFER. But why do we want suffering, Doc? Isn’t that cruel? Hey – that’s the price of a good story! Lots of angst and suffering. Suffering makes the character uncomfortable, and causes…CONFLICT! Hint #2: Create Conflict they can’t live with! Conflict is what drives a story. We talked about inner conflict – that conflict in values. And we pinpointed the external conflict by determining our characters greatest dreams and greatest fears. Now, let’s use all that […]

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Self Therapy: Editing to find the character’s voice

By on September 19, 2007 in Loosen Up!

In my mind, my characters are alive and real. I can see them in conversation, walking through a scene. But once I put fingers to keyboard, that very personable character disappears. How can I get what’s in my head onto the page? Several ways. First, I might revisit notes or a character bio I’ve written. If I feel like those lack depth, I might brainstorm motivation or story line. Second, I keep writing, editing and rewriting. A story rarely comes off authentic the first draft. This is where the character, story and dialog form a rough picture for the author – in this case me. I’ve heard many authors talk about how hard they work at getting the story on the page. Some says it takes several drafts just to […]

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Doctors Notes: Stakes vs. Challenges: Driving a story.

By on September 18, 2007 in Uncategorized

I watched a movie this weekend, one of the best thrillers out there for continually raising stakes and forcing the viewer at the end of her seat: Cellular. In a nutshell, it’s a movie about a woman who is kidnapped. She uses a demolished phone to call for help and gets a hold of a young man whose girlfriend has broken up with him because of his irresponsibility. A deadline of sorts hangs over their conversation (and we’ll talk about deadlines in an upcoming book therapy), because at any moment, they could get cut off, and she may never be able to dial out again. She must convince this guy to help her and eventually get involved to the point where he begins to break the law and risk his […]

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Ask the Doctor: How do I determine my character’s Noble Cause?

By on September 17, 2007 in Uncategorized

I talk a lot about the Noble Cause, or purpose of a character as a key to discovering their motivations behind their actions. A Noble Cause is that one thing that drives a character through a story, whether it be a thriller (i.e., saving someone from being killed), or a romance (fighting for true love). But how does one determine the Noble Cause? I always start by asking the question of my character – What makes you the person you are today? His history will show you the things that molded him. Was he abandoned as a child? Perhaps, then, his Noble Cause is family, and never abandoning his own children. But let’s say he didn’t have a traumatic past – then ask: What is worth fighting for, and why? […]

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