Writers Passage

A Gull's Story

2010-04-03T13:39:00.000-07:00

Hi:

Checking in for today’s photo report from the beautiful northwest.
I like gulls. My wife doesn’t. We ran across the guy below just sitting on a fence at the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Gulls! Yuck… how boring. But wait; there really is a story about this particular gull. He’s not as bird-brained as he looks.

So this gull is just sitting there. Cindy is not interested in him (or her) except that he refuses to move – almost like he’s on guard. She asks me, “Why is he just sitting there?” I tell her there’s a guy that comes by most days to feed the gulls. “He’s probably just waiting for food,” I say.

Cars come and go in the parking lot and the gull patiently remains at his post – pun intended. Out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of an old, faded red car and Mr. Passive begins screaming his head off. Notice in the picture that there is just one gull, right? Not for long.

Sure enough it’s dinner time (closer to lunch, really). Anyway, it’s the guy with the food and in less time than it takes him to get out of his car, the sky is full of gulls.

I think gulls are beautiful. Their wings remind me of angels. Gulls also remind me of flying rats. They do love their food, but there is no denying they are art in the air.

Turns out the kindly gentleman in the photo above has been making the trip out to what are now the DNWR and Three Crabs Restaurant to toss bread to “his” gulls for fifty-five years. Now that’s dedication! And it’s part of why I love living in the Pacific Northwest. There’s always something interesting (or someone) to discover.

Here’s looking at you. The guys below asked me to pass along that the next time you visit the refuge, bring food.

Sorry, but a ‘gull’ has to make a living somehow. I know, I know. Bad pun.

Cheers….Bob

The Real Eagles of CC (Clallam County)

2010-04-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

Hello: I didn't expect to be doing another eagle story -- at least not quite so soon, but today was a good day It was an eagle day to be exact and just like the Real Houswives of the OC, we've got some true drama going on here in the CC (Clallam County).

Today's photo journey began at the county park along Marine Drive. When the tide is out, there are generally two or three eagles sitting on old pier pilings watching for fish in the shallows. Sure enough, as I pulled to a stop, I saw this handsome guy and snapped a couple of shots. Nothing special.

Things were peaceful -- at least until this older eagle showed up. My buddy on the post bristled and scrunched his shoulders like an angry dog. Then he spun around and assumed an aggressive, I’m-gonna-defend-my-post posture. (No, I’m not making this up.) Look at the pic below. Bird looks like the Karate Kid, doesn’t he?

So I’m thinking the younger eagle has taken the older eagle’s perch – and older eagle wants it back. Still, I’m surprised because eagles don’t normally fuss quite so much over a perch. They bump each other off perches and limbs all the time with little more than an angry squawk or two. Sure enough, the older (more experienced) eagle dives for the piling. I don’t know about you, but I’d find a different perch before tangling with an adult bald eagle.

Sure enough, age and cunning triumphs over youthful bluster. Note the postage stamp posture. Now, maybe he’s just showing off, but I’m sure there is something else going on between these two CC eagles. The younger eagle flies to the bank – fairly close to where I’m standing, but it is out of sight.

Within a few seconds, the older eagle above flies once more toward the younger eagle. The younger eagle beats a hasty retreat. I sneak up to investigate and discover that not only did the younger eagle lose its perch, it also lost its meal. Older, bigger (and I assume badder) adult eagle picks up and takes off with a fish from the bank. Man, that’s just cold.

The adult eagle, with fish-in-talon, banks left and starts heading for the trees behind me. I know immediately where it is going. I drive up to the top of the bluff and sure enough, my big, bad eagle is bringing home the bacon – or, in this case, some type of flat fish.

I watched these two feed on the fish for about ten minutes. Pretty cool, huh?

I still feel badly for the younger eagle who lost its meal, but you know what they say about having mouths to feed and there are eggs in the nest.

Well, that’s it from this end. I gotta go fix dinner. I’m thinkin’ I’m in the mood for salmon.

Cheers!

Bob

Star Trek: the Writers’ Guide

2009-06-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

OK, to the best of my knowledge, there is no such thing as a Star Trek Writers’ Guide, but think about it! To boldly go (split infinitive notwithstanding) where no man has gone before. It’s good advice. As a fiction writer (especially true for fantasy and SciFi writers), your job is to take folks where they’ve never been before. As Mr. Spock would say, “It’s only logical.”

Since space and inter-dimensional travel have not yet been perfected, about the best we writers can do is look for aliens, and interesting characters, away from our own backyard.

I recently made a trip to Wyoming to visit Devils Tower. While there, I noticed several things I’m not accustomed to seeing in Western Washington, let’s call them “appliances,” hanging from the backs of pickups. So I pull up behind this pickup at a red light and right in front of me, literally swinging in the breeze, are a pair of (wait for it)… testicles. Bull testicles by the looks of them – extra large – in bright silver.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not picking on people who drive pickups – or even those who have close relations with their trucks. I, too, love my truck. I polish it and equip it with all sorts of gadgets. I even talk to my truck, so I’m not picking on truck owners. Call me a wimp, but I have never had the urge to hang a pair of balls from my trailer hitch. It raises a serious writer’s question, however. What kind of guy feels the need to declare his truck’s masculinity in quite this way. Or is it the driver’s masculinity that’s being trumpeted? Or maybe it’s just a lament for days of old when one’s transportation actually did come with a pair of balls as standard equipment.

As I drove across Wyoming toward South Dakota, I noticed quite a few “male” trucks. I observed one of the owners at a gas station. Sure enough, he had a large cowboy hat, cowboy boots and a belt buckle that could have easily doubled as a silver serving tray. I’m talking large enough to handle an 18 ounce T-bone. And standing right next to Mr. Cowboy was “junior.” Junior appeared to be around 7 years old. His hat was just as big as Cowboy senior's. In fact, he was dressed just like his Pa. Cowboy and mini-cowboy. Cute. A bit scary, but cute. Without his saying a word, I knew the kid wanted nothing more than to grow up and be just like his dad. Admirable. Seriously.

I returned to my truck, stared at it awhile and pondered the meaning of what I have just witnessed. I squeezed a few more drops from the pump and read the warning telling me that the gas may contain up to ten percent ethanol. I wonder if they also add testosterone to the gas in Wyoming. There has to be an explanation for all this, right?

I decide that I just could not, under any circumstances, hang a pair of silver bull testicles onto the back of my truck. I did note, however, that testicles are diverse in Wyoming. They also come in black leather. Those actually looked pretty good. Maybe… nah… well, only if I can find a matching hat. Either way, I gathered some most excellent local color and filed my experience away under ‘male characters, western, wild and very intense.’

Happy Writing!

Bob

Tell Me Something I Don’t Know

2009-05-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

Chris Matthews closes his Sunday Political news show each week by challenging his panel of political reporters to tell him something he doesn’t know. It is my favorite part of the show. It is appealing to be educated and ahead of the crowd with a particular piece of information. It works on Mathews’ show and it works in books as well – even fiction books. Or perhaps I should say, especially fiction books.

This week I did some bird watching. We’re fortunate here in the Olympic Peninsula to have a large population of Bald Eagles. There is a nesting pair near our home. The weather is starting to warm up and so are the bugs. While taking photographs, I noticed that the bugs were ‘bugging’ me – and the eagles. Periodically, one would fly off its perch to stretch its wings and avoid its tiny tormentors. Before flying from the branches, the soon-to-depart eagle would call to its mate who would join in the bugling. Not once did one of the eagles depart without letting its mate know it was about to leave.

We also live near the Olympic Game Farm where you can get up close and personal with all sorts of critters. My wife and I took a ride out the other day and were treated to some magnificent displays by peacocks. The males we would display their beautiful plumage before passing female peacocks. This was not unexpected. What was unexpected, at least to me, was the fact that the male peacocks also set their tail feathers ‘abuzz’ by vibrating them at a very high rate, thus providing both an auditory and a quality to their mating dance.

Adding little tidbits of information such as these can liven up your writing and make it more enjoyable. So, go ahead. Tell your readers something they don’t know.

Happy Writing!

Bob

Sometimes Characters Introduce Themselves

2009-05-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth, not Liz, not Lizzy, not Beth, but Elizabeth introduced herself in a soft, but self-assured voice. “Im the docent here,” she said with a noticeable air of pride. When I say noticeable, I do mean noticeable. We’re talking Getty Museum level pride, or perhaps the New York Museum of Art – notwithstanding the fact that we’re in a small town museum with a city population of less than 1,000. That’s OK, ‘cause I’m paying rapt attention to ‘Lizzy.’ Sorry, anyone that it is this serious needs to relax.

“This our natural materials exhibit,” Lizzy tells us. “Did you see vase cover over there?” I nod. “Do you recognize the material,” Lizzy asks. “Chicken feet skin,” I offer.

Lizzy is impressed, both with the vase and the fact that I know my chicken feet. Even after being raised on a farm, I had no idea one could skin a chicken’s foot – or that an artist would even want to do so. That said, the vase looked very, uh… uh… distinctive. Artsy and distinctive. Moving right along.

“Did you see the vase decorated with salmon tails?” Of course we did. Actually, there are several vases covered with various fish parts and Liz is just getting warmed up. As for me, I’m starting to panic. I love museums; I love art – even ‘novel’ art which this exhibit certainly is. I know Liz just wants (and I mean, really, really, really wants) us to enjoy the exhibit, but my polite smile is starting to fracture into an amused grin and I do not want to hurt Elizabeth’s feelings. She might, after all, end up serving as the basis for a character in a future work.

Happy Writing!

Bob

Fiction Writing Can be a Witch's Brew

2009-03-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

Let's say you want to develop a character that reflects or represents the Republican Party – or perhaps its values. How would you go about doing this? Fortunately your TV is filled with real-life Republicans from Sarah (Drill-Baby-Drill) Palin to Joe the Plumber.

Now, I have no doubt that it would be a lot of fun to base a character on Ms. Palin, but there are good reasons not to do so. Spsst! They're called lawsuits. That's where the witch's brew method comes in. We could start with Eye of Newt (Gingrich). He's a gray-haired, self-assured professorial sort of guy. As a character, he might not have the spark you need to keep a reader engaged for a long work. So, whose personality could we borrow from to "perk up" our bland Newt? How about a sprinkling of essence of pompous? How about Rush Limbaugh?

Now, Rush has been around for a long time – and I'm not picking on his waistline. Stay with me here. He's an incredible influence in the Republican Party and has millions of devoted listeners. Some might argue that Rush is the Republican Party. He is passionate. He is absolutely convinced that he is right. Remember the bumper stickers proudly announcing, "Rush is Right"?

Now, I have no doubt that Rush can figure out what's right for him. He can probably figure out what's right for the Republican Party. Where the "pompous" part comes in is when he's convinced he knows what's right for everybody else. So, you could build part of your character with an element or two of Mr. Limbaugh.

No Republican archetype would be complete without a bit of righteous anger. From whom do we draw this element? There's grumpy Bob Dole who always liked to refer to himself in the third person. Never understood that, but Okay. He's a candidate. My personal favorite, however, is Tom Delay. Now, he's one angry guy.

Okay, so you can put these in the character blender, hit the pulse button and out pops a … Hmm. Out pops a really bad idea. Seriously, would you want to spend 250 pages with such a character?

So where was I going with all this? We tend to start with characters and imbue them with qualities, characteristics and flaws. Character building can also start in reverse. You can build your character around the raw elements of a political movement, a value system or set of beliefs. Why do this? Easy answer. Strong beliefs and passions spark conflict. Conflict begets interest. Strong characters drive stories.

If you were to trap New Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh in an elevator with Tom Delay, I suspect there would likely be zero conflict – up until the time Rush lights up his cigar. If, however, you were to drop Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Barney Frank into that same nine-by-nine foot enclosed space with Rush and company and conflict becomes a lot more likely. Heck, let's add Congressman John Conyers -- just to make it an even fight. Man, I want to watch that video. Put it on Pay-Per-View and I'm there.

Homework Assignment -- Think about the following TV personalities: Brian Williams, Chris Mathews, the late Tim Russert, Geraldo Rivera, and Oprah. Describe them in no more than three words. When I think of Tim Russert, I think of honorable, committed, highly analytical. When I think of Brian Williams, I see him as 'sincere.' I see Oprah as an inquisitive, intelligent and a very private individual.

What qualities do you think these TV personalities evoke?

In what roles would you cast them in your story? (Doctor, Lawyer, Baker or Cabinet Maker, etc.?)

I think Brian Williams would make a great judge. I could easily see Oprah as a private detective or the lead in mystery novel. I also see Geraldo in a private detective role, although he would likely hail from a seedier part of town. Tim Russert would make a great prosecuting attorney. (He was a lawyer, by the way).

Okay, same questions for the following TV personalities: Katie Couric, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow and Whoopi Goldberg.

Bob

Place: The Final Frontier

2009-03-01T09:32:00.000-08:00

Space: The final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship, Enterprise. Its 5 year mission to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations…to boldly go where no man has gone before.

Remember these words? Of course you do. For some of you, the split infinitive "to boldly go" causes you to cringe each time you hear it. With bit more literary license, and with apologies to Mr. Roddenberry, I would like to suggest a slight revision.

Place: The final frontier. Your mission is to seek out new worlds and to boldly take your readers where no author has taken them before.

Seriously, despite the pun, a sense of place can give your work more depth and make your characters really stand out against an unusual backdrop. Think of it as 3D writing. How to do this? Well, you can start by going to places that you have not gone before.

When writing Termination for Convenience, one of our characters is placed into a safe-house – which just happens to be a strip club. Naturally, Charlie (my co-author) and I had to research a couple of the local 'establishments.' (I can still hear my wife's questions. "You're going where? For the book? Right!" All this spoken with total disbelief. Not to worry, we had a comfortable couch.)

Anyway, our goal was to observe, how 'the girls' interact with clients, the managers, the sounds, the smells, the behaviors associated with (and I use this term loosely) a 'Gentleman's Club.'

The action on stage beneath the strobe lights is (at least to me) much less interesting than the action in the darkened corners of the clubs where 'the girls' prowl in search of likely prey – someone willing to spend $50 to $100 for a private dance. 'The girls' are much like a wolf pack. Each coolly scans the room like lioness on a hunt. There is almost always an alpha female to whom the other dancers show deference. A casual visitor will think that the male managers and burly security guards are in charge. Not so. The alpha female and 'her pack' is where the true power of the place is centered.

Another place we visited was LA's China Town. We toured some local restaurants, food and specialty shops. We skulked around alleys in an effort to understand the behind-the-scenes operations of this unique locale. Once again, our intent was to get 'a feel' and a sense of the place so that we could incorporate it into the novel.

Often times you do not have to go far to enter a world that is radically different than that which most of us experience on a day-to-day basis. I once visited a slaughter house and observed the process from the death of the animal, its cleaning, gutting, dismembering and processing of the meat all the way to the creation of neatly wrapped packages of 'product.' I can tell you this. Visit a slaughter house and the sights, sounds, and smells of the experience will remain with you for a lifetime.

There are hidden worlds closer than you think and the exploration of these places can be as much fun as the writing. For example, have you ever sat in the cockpit of a fighter aircraft? It is a lot more cramped and spartan than you think. There is none of the romance evoked by the Top Gun movie. Have you ever strolled the narrow hallways and warrens of an aircraft carrier? There are museums that allow you to do both.

Have you ever visited the basement of a modern skyrise building. Ask the maintenance guy in charge if he will give you a tour. The logistics and technology associated with the operation of a large building are impressive. You will need to explain why you are asking and, if you are able to satisfy their security concerns, you might very well be introduced to an invisible and interesting world hiding in plain sight.

Happy Writing!

What is My Character's Motivation?

2009-02-15T11:13:00.000-08:00

If you ask yourself only one question about your characters, let this one be it. Of course, this one question will lead you places, so think of it as the classic Lays Potato Chip question. You won't be able to stop at just one. The fun part about characters is not necessarily what they say or do. It is about why they do it.

People behave in strange ways. They pick up strange behaviors along life's rocky trails. Embodying your characters with quirky or interesting traits can be hard work, but it becomes easier as you build the bio for your character. The bio builds depth, but it also helps you create believable character motivation.

The motivation can be shallow or deep. That's your call. An example of a shallow character motivation would be the clueless parents of Richard Head who, understandably enough, hates his name and its abbreviation. Imagine the teasing poor 'Dick' must endure, day in and day out at school. How would this affect him? How would the teasing mold him? Resentment toward parents? Of course. Anger towards his classmates? Absolutely. You can build an entire character bio from this one 'shallow' factor.

But you don't want to create a shallow motivation, do you? No. You want to go deep. Very well. So, where do you go? The bookstore is a good place, but the internet is free. If you do a search for Adult Children of Alcoholics you will come up with a number of websites that discuss the characteristics of people who grow up with one or more alcoholic parents. Frankly, the kids of alcoholics are different. They develop a number of interesting characteristics as they grow up and these remain with them as adults. They like to please. They often blame themselves when things go wrong – even when it is not their fault. Most adult children of alcoholics do not even understand the reasons (or motivation) behind their behavior.

The same situation is true with people who grew up with a parent who was physically abusive. These children are literally molded in a particular fashion and these imprints follow, and affect, them all of their lives.

As you build your character bio, you can do a little research. It can range from minor motivational forces (growing up left-handed, as a red-head, or as a middle child) to the tragically complex, like the ones discussed above.

Homework assignment: Do a little research. How are those who have been adopted different from other children? How might this experience affect your character? What if your character was 'sent away' to boarding school at the age of eight? How might your character have been affected by this experience? What if your character's father was a thief? How would this affect your character's view of the world / relationships with family members?

Happy Writing!

Bob

Attention: Free Writing Classes at Your House!

2009-02-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

If you want to learn from some of the best writers in the country, all you have to do is turn on your TV. Granted, you have to be selective. It is, after all, known as the boob tube, but there is some good stuff there. Trust me.

One of the shows I like is Burn Notice which airs on the USA network. I enjoy the show for its entertainment value. It is funny, innovative, filled with clever dialog and interesting tidbits about spy craft. I also like to watch the show simply to watch its writers work. They're good.

There is a front story and a back story. The front story changes every week. It involves Michael Weston discovering a victim or some poor unfortunate in need of his particular talents. The back story moves slowly across multiple seasons. It seems that Michael as been 'burned.' For some unknown reason his spy 'agency' has dumped him in Miami. No cover, no credit cards, no income. For most of us in the mundane world this is called a layoff, but I suppose Layoff Notice wasn't a sexy enough title for the show's execs.

Anyway, the backbone of the story revolves around Michael's attempts to find out who 'burned' him and why. He's up against some sophisticated bad spy guys. They would have to be pretty good since Michael is no slouch at what he does.

Woven around the back story is what I refer to as the weekly problem du jour. In this past week's episode, Michael saves a pair of orphans from a bad-ass gangsta. It is not so much what he does as how he does it. The show creates suspense by having the back-story plot insert itself at a critical moment thus complicating / endangering the planned rescue. It works out every week, though.

The show blends lots of proven TV techniques. Michael has a loyal sidekick, Sam. They form a pretty effective pair reminiscent of Starsky and Hutch and Crocket and Tubbs. Then there is Fiona. Fiona is Michael's on-again, off-again (no pun intended) sexy love interest. Presently things are heating up between the two, but Michael is complicated and Fiona has 'issues,' so the show's writers get to play with some interesting character elements as well.

Even if you do not think you will like the show as I've described it, it is worth watching just to see how the writers handle the plot, scene changes, escalating tension and characterization. The writers also include an effective narrative voiceover by Michael in which he speaks directly to the viewer. 'If you need to build a bomb all you have to do is…' 'A spy is always on the lookout for…'

We care about Michael because he's been done wrong by his agency. We care about the character even more because he's a nice guy and cares about other people. He's a great spy, but has relationship issues with his family and Fiona, so he is even a more sympathetic, and thus interesting, character.

So, remember, class is in session. USA Network. Burn Notice. Check it out.

Happy Writing.

Bob

Point of View

2009-01-24T13:03:00.000-08:00

I'll admit that I'm a purist when it comes to POV. When I'm writing from a particular character's point of view, I try to stay there until the scene ends. Modern fiction has become more 'flexible' in this regard and authors slip in and out of various points of view, from one character to another or even to omniscient.

When thinking about character, it helps to think of your character as a camera. What the reader will see, smell, touch, and feel should all be from that character's point of view. The thing to keep in mind as the author is that your character may not always be correct in his or her views and facts, and will certainly not have all the information available to you as the author, or even other characters. Sounds easy enough, but when you are 'writing hot and fast,' it is easy to have spill-over.

As you develop your outline, you should ask yourself, 'From whose point of view do I want to present the scene?'

Take a look at the scene below, presented from the main character's POV and the Number 2 supporting character's POV. Here's the scene setup: Tessie Malone, a nurse by training and profession, is recovering from major surgery… a heart transplant to be exact. She awakes each night to a different murder scene in which she is the killer. She's convinced she is reliving murders committed by her heart donor. But as a nurse, she knows just how impossible this is. The alternative is that she is slowly and steadily losing her mind. Both prospects terrify her.

Before we continue onto the scene, let's talk about the character's name. Everything is done for a reason – even character names which should also evoke impressions. Tessie (a derivative of Teresa) evokes the image of a vulnerable young girl. Teresa is also the name of a saint – also a conscious choice. Malone is just one letter [M] away from alone which is how Tessie Malone feels… alone and vulnerable.

Scene from Tessie's POV…

"Are you Detective Tran?" Tessie asked, willing her hands not to shake. The two cops sitting at the picnic table before her stopped chewing on their sandwiches briefly enough to regard her. The detective to whom she had addressed the question resumed chewing, pausing only long enough to nod with his chin toward the seat opposite him.

"I'm Detective Tran," he said after swallowing and washing it down with a pull from is soda. "You were here yesterday, weren't you?" Tessie felt herself blush and nodded once.

"How can I help you?" Tran asked. She glanced nervously at the other detective who, as if on cue, got up and left.

Tessie had practiced her speech a hundred times, but the polished words had all disappeared. "I wish to report a murder… no. Three murders," she said at last, afraid that the rapid pulse drumming in her ears would drown out the detective's words.

Tran pushed sandwich aside and pulled a small notebook from his jacket pocket. "Did you see the murders?"

"Yes," Tessie said.

"When did they occur?" Tran asked.

"I'm not sure," Tessie said. She felt despair as Tran replaced the notebook into his jacket.

"OK," he said. "Who was murdered?"

"Robert and James Nguyen and a third man," Tessie said. "His first name was Tuan. I don't know his last name."

"How'd they die?" Tran asked.

"I shot them," Tessie said. "Three shots each, one to the body and a double-tap to the head."

"You shot them?" Tran said, stiffening.

"No," Tessie said. "That's not what I meant. I'm not crazy. I'm not." The last came out as a soft wail. She slid a piece of paper across to Tran. "The bodies are in the Port of Long Beach in a cargo container. Here's the number."

"How long have you spoke Vietnamese?" Tran asked. "Your accent and dialect are flawless."

"I don't speak Vietnamese," Tessie said.

Tran smiled. "What language do you think you're speaking now?"

Tessie squealed and leaped up from the bench. "Please go look. You'll see. I'm not crazy."

Now the same scene from Detective Tran's POV…

"She still back there?" Tran nodded once to his partner. "I think she's a whack job. Three days running she stands over there watching us. Gotta be a whacko."

Tran scowled. "We don't what she is, other than distraught. If she doesn't approach us today, I'll go have a chat with her and see what she wants."
"Maybe she wants eat Asian tonight." Tran's partner leered suggestively at him. "Get it? Eat Asian!" John smiled broadly at his crude joke.

"I get it. You can be such a jerk sometimes, John. Did you know that?" John shrugged. "All I'm saying is…" He did not finish the sentence.

"Are you Detective Tran?" the woman asked.

Tran indicated that the woman should take the seat opposite. "I'm Detective Tran," he said after swallowing and washing it down with a pull from is soda. "You were here yesterday, weren't you?" The woman blushed.

"How can I help you?" Tran asked in a pleasant voice that he hoped would help the woman relax. She glanced nervously at his partner. Tran sympathized. He didn't like being around his partner either. He gave his partner a let-me-run-this-one-solo glance and, to his relief, John took the hint and departed.

"How can I help you?" Tran asked once more, careful to keep his tone light and easy.

"I wish to report a murder… no. Three murders." she said.

Tran willed his face and body to remain relaxed. He pushed sandwich aside and pulled a small notebook from his jacket pocket. "Did you see the murders?"

"Yes," Tessie said.

"When did they occur?" Tran asked.

"I'm not sure," Tessie said.

Maybe John was right. Maybe she was a whacko. He closed his notebook and slipped it back into his jacket pocket. "OK," he said. "Who was murdered?"

"Robert and James Nguyen and a third man," Tessie said. "His first name was Tuan. I don't know his last name."

"How'd they die?" Tran asked.

"I shot them," the woman said. "Three shots each, one to the body and a double-tap to the head."

"You shot them?" Tran demanded, unable to retain his calm façade.

"No," Tessie said. "That's not what I meant. I'm not crazy. I'm not."

Maybe, Tran thought, but it's not looking to good from this end. Still, he recognized the names. It was possible the woman was both crazy and telling the truth.

The woman slid a piece of paper across to Tran. She said, "The bodies are in the Port of Long Beach in a cargo container. Here's the number."

"How long have you spoke Vietnamese?" Tran asked. "Your accent and dialect are flawless."

"I don't speak Vietnamese," Tessie said.

Tran smiled. "What language do you think you're speaking now?"

The woman squealed and leaped up from the bench. "Please go look. You'll see. I'm not crazy," she said as she fled the table.

Tran did not bother to pursue her, choosing instead to reflect upon what she had said.

John returned about five minutes after the woman had departed. "Did you get it?"

"Yep," John said. "Teresa Marie Malone. Drives a 2004 Honda Civic with California plates 'SO LATE.' Lives here in Irvine. I got the address. No warrants. No priors. Whack job, right?"

"Maybe," but she speaks Vietnamese apparently without knowing it. "Run it down when we get back."

"Back? Where we going?" John asked.

"Port of Long Beach," Detective Tran said.

"What's in Long Beach?"

"According to Ms. Malone, three of the bangers that are on our pick-up list are in a cargo container there."

"No shit!" John said, staring toward the parking lot where he had followed Teresa Malone to her car.

"No shit," Tran replied. "You know, I've never heard a Caucasian speak Vietnamese the way she did. Had she not been sitting right across from me, I'd have sworn she was from Vietnam. It was weird. Really weird.

"She's a whack job," John said dismissively. "Twenty bucks says there's no container and no bodies."

"You're on," Tran said.
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In the next post I shall discuss the two scenes and the advantages / disadvantages of each.

Happy Writing!

Bob

Any Twilight Fans Out There???

2009-01-17T15:28:00.000-08:00

My wife took me to see the film Twilight last night. She’s read all the Twilight series books by Stephenie Meyer and wanted to ‘share.’ Since we live in Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, it was easy to drive to Port Angeles to see the film and have a pre-movie dinner at Bella Italia, a restaurant featured in the movie. Cool!

I ordered the Mushroom Ravioli which was simply incredible. Imagine my surprise when I found out that this very dish was served in the movie scene at the restaurant. Spooky!

Now that I’m well fed and happy, let’s talk a bit about the storytelling in Twilight. Remember, one our first ‘rules’ of writing. Put your character in danger and keep (in this case) her there. Ms. Meyer (and the film’s director) do a great job of this.

WARNING, if you have plans to see the film or read the book, best to stop here. Plot spoilers follow.

First – Bella discovers that the boy she is totally in love with is a vampire. I think this qualifies as serious danger, don’t you? By electing to continue the relationship, she places herself (not to mention her immortal soul) in even more danger.

Second – Walking along a deserted street at night, Bella finds herself surrounded by thugs and in a possible rape situation. Enter the sullen, brooding, highly protective, (and, according to wife-mate) very good looking) Edward to the rescue. So, we’ve got emotional, physical and ‘mortal’ danger all in play.

Third – Bella gets invited to meet Edward’s family and to join a game of ‘family’ baseball during a rainstorm. (A fun scene.)

Not all of Edward’s extended family are thrilled with Bella’s presence and a couple are continually giving her ‘I-think-I’d-rather-just-drink-your-blood' looks. I suspect vampires are not terribly keen on having a personal relationship with a potential food source. Anyway, more threat. More danger. The author is doing a great job.

Fourth – A group of non-vegetarian vampires arrives on the scene and one decides that he must have Bella “for a snack.” This plot twist kicks off a fierce chase, the inevitable battle between Edward and the non-vegan vampire. The ‘bad’ vampire is vanquished, but at the end of the film, we find that the bad vampire’s hunting partner is stalking Bella and Edward. I just know there’s gonna be another movie, don’t you? (Note: A vegetarian vampire is one that only drinks non-human animal blood.)

I was impressed with the film’s handling of danger. Hard to imagine anything more dangerous than a love affair with a vampire -- even a vegan-vampire, but Ms. Meyer escalates the dramatic tension nicely, thus illustrating that you can start at a high danger point and continue to escalate that danger as the book progresses.

So, here is your assignment. Go see Twilight. Go have dinner at Bella Italia in Port Angeles, WA. Drive over to Forks and enjoy the beautiful scenery of this lovely rainforest area. Have fun and keep a lookout for our local colony of vampires.

Happy Writing!

The Sleeper Must Awaken!

2009-01-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

Regardless of whether you choose to publish your work, or even complete it, writing can be its own reward. There is a great line from the novel, Dune, by Frank Herbert. "The sleeper must awaken."

This is what writing does for me. It awakens the senses and encourages me to pay more attention to what is going on around me. I find myself continually looking for bits and pieces of life that can add spice and realism to my fictional characters.

Example: I was recently at a ho-hum cocktail party with a friend who hails from Alabama. Dan speaks with a lovely, sing-song Southern drawl and peppers his speech with all sorts of colorful Southern sayings.

We were standing behind a tall and attractive red-head. We could not help but overhear her tell her companion for the evening that she was 'twenty-eight'. (She looked much younger.) Her comment caused Dan to spin about and say to her, "You ain't done it!"

Now, for you non-Southerners, Dan's statement roughly translates to, "I can't believe you're twenty-eight." But I digress.

The young woman turned around, regarded Dan for a few, quiet seconds, and then replied, "I've done it lot's of times." She then dismissed the interruption by turning around, having completely destroyed my friend, and resuming her conversation with her companion. It was a classic jaw-drop moment. Dan was literally speechless. For almost an entire week, I would often find Dan staring off into space and muttering, "I shoulda had a comeback." Indeed he should have.

The moment was comedic, memorable and excellent example of verbal swordplay. Think about the possible responses the woman could have made:

"Excuse me, but I wasn't speaking with you." (True, but boring.)
"Oh, yes. I am, too, twenty-eight." (Also boring.)
"Hi, I don't believe we've met. My name is ___." (I'm sure Dan would have much preferred this response.)

What I remember most about the woman was her serene confidence, her wicked humor and her quick intellect. If reduced to film, most of us in the room would have been captured in 'forgettable' grey scale, black and white. This woman, however, came across in memorable, full, 3-D color. I want my major characters to be like her. Commanding. Interesting. Bold.

Happy Writing!

Bob

Season's Greetings

2008-12-18T19:00:00.000-08:00

Whew! This holiday letter almost did not happen. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but this year's letter fund went bankrupt. It has been a truly horrible experience. I applied for a loan from our local bank, but it was denied. Actually, it wasn't denied. My paperwork just got caught up in this series of mergers and takeovers. My bank was acquired by WaMu. WaMu was acquired by Chase. By the time my application was forwarded to my new bank, which I fondly refer to as Chase-High-Fees, they hardly had time to reject my application and bill me for the processing fee. Poor guys!

So, I decided to do the truly American thing. I asked the Government if I could have a 'Bridge Loan.' This sort of thing seems to be in vogue nowadays. Unfortunately, my request was misrouted to Illinois. The Governor's office called and left a message. It said, "Bleep that Bleep," and hung up. I assume this is Chicago-speak for "no." Anyway, they did let us know that bidding for Senator Obama's US Senate seat was about to close and that if I wanted to get in on the action to get back to them soon. Decisions... decisions.

Finally, my application for a holiday letter bailout was properly routed to my Congressman. His office was very polite. The Congressman's aide told me I could have the money, but only if I was willing to "restructure my holiday letter finances" and submit the missive to someone who would serve as our "Message Mogul." I guess this is similar to a Car Czar. Turns out the "Message Mogul" wanted me to take a major reduction of my already pitifully small allowance, so I nixed this idea.

Meanwhile, my wife blames me for the bankruptcy of our letter fund. You see, I ordered this statue of Governor Sarah Palin from the Alaskan Mint. (Bet you didn't even know Alaska had a mint, did you? You Betcha!) As it turns out, what the sent me wasn't really a statue. It was more of a doll. It is life-size, though – and inflatable. Now, for some reason, my wife won't even speak to me. Actually, she did speak to me once. She said, "Bleep … Bleep … Bleep ." Sigh. Life can be so unfair. I don't know what my wife's problem is. I truly do admire Sarah for her political skills and savvy. Right!

As you have no doubt concluded by now, I am presently living in the parking spot in the garage that was once reserved for my pick-up. I spend my days composing holiday letters and letters of apology to my wife -- all this under the watchful eyes of Ms Palin. Wife-mate won't let me keep my 'statue' in the house. (If you thought the feud between Mr. Obama and Hillary was bad, you ain't seen nuthin'.) Life can be so unfair.

Anyway, I think my only hope for saving my annual holiday letter is to solicit donations from friends, family and Blog readers to restore the holiday letter fund. I promise the money will only be spent for future holiday letters... except for this one tiny, tiny purchase. I do need to purchase a patch kit. It seems poor Sarah has sprung a small leak and looks somewhat deflated. So sad!

There you have it. I promise that most of the donated money will go to future holiday letters. So please get to donating and you too can help keep these holiday cards, letters and blog postings coming. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Bob

Maybe You Should Just Scrap It!

2008-12-14T13:12:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not suggesting what you think. The alternate title of this post could well be, "In Praise of the Three-Ring Binder." A three-ring binder with divider tabs is my favorite writing tool, outside of the handy-dandy computer, of course.

For my fiction books, I have sections for plot, themes, place (local color), background research, a section for characters, etc. I keep my character profiles in the character section. As you begin writing, you will find that your characters will further develop. Having all your profiles in an easy-to-access place makes it easy to add notes.

For our non-fiction books, my wife and I will use up to a dozen binders. Many of the binders contain our research materials, but we have other binders as well for: Marketing, Publicity, prior outlines and drafts.

If you are prone to writer's block, just flipping through your three-ring binder can disassemble the block, or point you along a path that perhaps you had overlooked or not previously thought of before. If I have been away from the novel for more than a week, the first thing I do is pull out the binder, re-read all of the character profiles, plot outline, "place" notes, and so on.

I also keep a scrap book to collect and organize random thoughts that I think might one day be useful. Sometimes I will find a photo of a person that is so unusual, or so striking that I clip it and post it to my scrap book. If I have an idea for a future novel, but do not have time to work on it, I will post it in my binder.

When I meet people in my travels, I often ask them what they do. My follow-up question is, "What is the most surprising or unexpected thing about your job?" For example, there is a friendly gentleman who performs maintenance for the apartment building I live in. He is very heavily tattooed.

I told him that I was a writer and asked him if I could ask questions about his tattoos, many of which are Korean language characters. He told me that the tattoos cause people to judge him and for others to be uncomfortable around him. Asians, he said, are prone to grabbing his arms and twisting them about so they can read the symbols and determine if he is a "good" guy or a "bad" guy. He said that when this happens, it is very disconcerting to him.

I asked if he had it to do all over again would he get the tattoos. He pondered for a moment and answered in the affirmative. He said that each of the tattoos symbolized a major turning point or important event in his life and that he would not go back and change anything – even though he realized that certain jobs would forever be "off limits" to him because of the tattoos.

People will generally open up to you if you are respectful – and not too pushy. I've had instances whereby people have declined to answer questions and then days or weeks come back and provide an answer.

So, what is so revealing about the responses provided my friend with the tattoos? A couple of things stand out. Rightly or wrongly, his tattoos now define him to others. They also set him apart and limit his movement within society. In other words, there were long-term consequences for his decision to apply tattoos to much of his body.

In a prior blog, I wrote about characters (and their actions) driving the story. When your characters take an action, there should always be a corresponding reaction. Think of it as the physics of story telling. For every action there is a reaction. This is not exactly Mr. Newton's law of motion, but it is close -- and your story must always remain in motion.

Your goal is to develop character actions that are reflective of the opening break shot in a game of pool. One action sets off other actions which in turn… Well, you get the idea.

Homework Assignment: Let's say your main character decides, after a night of heavy drinking, to get a string of tattoos in a language he or she does not fully understand. What chain of events could this action cause and how would these actions drive your story?

Happy Writing!

Bob

Is Self Publishing For You?

2008-12-06T13:55:00.000-08:00

OK, so you've got this manuscript hidden away on a shelf somewhere. Should you self-publish?

I have self-published three books and have a fourth on the way. Technology has radically changed the face of the publishing industry. Self-publishing has never been easier and it is more affordable than ever to publish your own work. And there are good / honest self-publishing houses out there such as ours, Dog Ear Publishing. All this is the good news.

The bad news is that self-published works still bear a heavy stigma. Many people consider the POD (Print On Demand) industry to be the same as Vanity Press. They are not the same, but honestly speaking, there is still a lot of "crap" out there that is self-published. Many newspapers and magazines will not even review a self-published book. We sent press releases to over 100 newspapers for our 1st wine book. Only three smaller and regional papers expressed an interest.

So, is self-publishing for you? If you are willing and able to edit your own book, or pay to have someone do it for you, then self-publishing may be for you. The biggest question you need to answer is whether you are willing to do your own marketing and order fulfillment. Marketing is hard – especially for fiction books. Order fulfillment means maintaining constant access to your books, shipping materials and your computer.

What many authors fail to realize is that publishing is a business – a tough, competitive business in an industry that increasingly faces competition from the internet and other less expensive mediums. Did you know that Borders Books may not survive the current economic crisis?

I was in a Borders book store recently and the store manager was perched on a ladder, scanning the top shelf and reading off book ISBNs to another clerk. The clerk would punch the ISBN into the register and tell him how many of the books had been sold. I watched as he raked the books off the shelf into a waiting trash can down below. Your "art" is, I'm sorry to say, someone else's product and if that product doesn't sell, well… you get the idea.

Here are some painful stats. There are 12,000 bookstores in the US. 3 out of 10 books will sell well. 4 books will break even. 3 will not make any money. Only 10% of major publishing house books will earn enough to recoup the author's advance. In today's economy some publishing houses are not even taking on new books. It is tough out there.

If, however, your goal is to have your book read, this is a much harder question. Many self-published authors find, after having gone through the process, is that what they really want is not so much to be published as to be READ. So, if you are not willing to invest a considerable amount of time marketing and publicizing your book, then think twice about self publishing.

Questions to ask yourself:
How much money / time you are willing to invest in the effort? (For a 200 to 250 page book, plan on spending $700 to $1200 with your publisher just to get the book into print.)

What are your strengths, weaknesses and limitations? (If you hate rejection, then marketing your own book is probably not going to work out too well for you. Best to figure this out ahead of time.)

Are you capable of editing your own book? (Can you spel and punktuate? That is the cwestion.)

What are your true objectives? (If you want to give copies of your favorite recipes to your grandkids, or record your family history, have a niche book that you intend to self-market, or merely want to see your name in print, by all means look into self-publishing. If, however, your plan is to be the next Tom Clancy or Dean Koontz, you better have a well developed marketing plan.)

More to follow on the ins and outs of self-publishing.

Happy Writing!

Bob

Arriving Upon the Scene

2008-11-30T16:05:00.000-08:00

The fun part of writing is the excitement you feel as your story unfolds, with all of its twists, turns and discoveries. Wouldn't it be great if we could just write and not have to worry about plot outlines, characterization, pace and the like?

The problem with free-form writing, I'm sorry to say, is that most of us are not very good at it. The story wanders, becomes trapped at a dead end and can suffer from a variety of flaws ranging from plot collapse, undue length, pacing problems, etc.

What is the solution, you ask? The answer: scene outline. Wait! I heard that groan. It takes all the fun out of writing. While I disagree, I understand the sentiment. But think about it. The best film directors story-board every scene sequence before shooting. There are those who may successfully 'wing it,' but with pressure to bring films in on budget, story-boarding the movie is the norm, rather than the exception.

As the author of your story, you are also the director. You have to deal with all of the same elements of story that a film director must manage, only without the cameras.

There are actually a number of advantages to crafting an outline of the major scenes of your novel before you begin. But before we get into these, let's review some basic operating rules of storytelling:

RULE #1: Put your character in danger.
RULE #2: Keep your character in danger.
RULE #3: Ensure that the danger gets steadily worse.
RULE #4: For each action, there is a reaction – or consequence.

Rule # 4 will drive your story. What do I mean by this? If you will recall when we last left Sergei, he was about to do some serious damage to our boorish director. Remember, Sergei's goal is to leave his homicidal past behind and become a 'good American' – and ultimately a citizen.

We open our novel in the darkened theater just as "The Director" discovers two things: (1) Sergei's daughter is relatively flat-chested and (2) Sergei has the capacity for rage and violence.

Scene 1: Sergei beats up "The Director" (Mr. Di).
Scene 2: Sergei gets fired by the studio, so no more catering business. He also gets arrested and is being sued for assault by Mr. Di. Newspapers publish Sergei's photo and his former mob associates locate him. (Sergei's life gets turned completely upside down.)

In these two scenes, we have action and reaction or action and consequence. The story from this point forward will be a series of unfortunate events all of which flow from his assault upon Mr. Di.

We've also initiated the story at the point where Sergei's life is about to be altered dramatically. At this point, we need to know how the story will resolve itself. Will Sergei be able to become anything he wants? Will he be forced back into a life of crime? Will he be able to earn his citizenship? These are the questions we must answer. Once we know these answers, we can then begin placing a series of obstacles in front of our character and basically make his life miserable.

Given Sergei's criminal history, we actually have a lot of obstacle material with which to work.

Scene 3: Sergei and his daughter flee with the Russian mob in hot pursuit. He and his daughter survive a harrowing chase and escape to a friend's house. Whew! Safe at last. Wrong! The mob anticipated this move and is waiting on him. They have one last job for Sergei. The mob takes his daughter. Sergei either takes the murder assignment or risks the mob killing his daughter.

Scene 4: Sergei considers taking the job, but finds out the target is both a moral man, but a man like himself, who has daughters.

At this point, we have set five difficult tasks for Sergei:

1. Avoid being arrested by the police and / or killed by the mob.
2. Avoid killing the target.
3. Rescuing the target.
4. Rescuing his daughter and preventing her from being killed, and
5. Doing all of the above without destroying his ultimate goal of becoming a good American.

Some possible scene sequences…

ACTION: Sergei approaches the target – tells him everything and asks for his help. The target appears supportive, but...
CONSEQUENCE: Target flees, contacts the police and now the police are looking for Sergei.

ACTION / SCENE: The mob finds out about Sergei's plan and prepare to take their revenge on both Sergei and his daughter.
CONSEQUENCE: The mob captures Sergei and finds someone else to eliminate the target.

ACTION / SCENE: Sergei and daughter escape.
CONSEQUENCE: The mob is looking for them. The police are looking for them and Sergei feels an obligation to try and rescue the target whom he was originally assigned to kill.

How does Sergei do this? Well, that's your job as the author to figure out. We want him to struggle, rest briefly, struggle harder, rest briefly, and then have the largest struggle near the end of the book. We will, however, probably pull the rug out from under Sergei in the form of a deportation hearing resulting from "Mr. Di's" assault charge – providing yet one more obstacle for our unlucky hero to overcome.

What action and consequence scenes would you develop that:

1. Provide ever-increasing suspense, tension and danger?
2. What other dangers (other than physical) will Sergei face? Will his daughter, upon learning of his criminal past, no longer love him?
3. Assuming Sergei is able to outwit the mob and avoid the police, how will he convince Mr. Di to drop the assault charge?

Have fun and Happy Writing!

Bob

Warning, Will Robinson. Danger!

2008-11-20T19:02:00.000-08:00

The classic 60's Science Fiction TV series Lost In Space consistently depicted a simple truth. Danger attracts. Danger to people we care about attracts even more. And who could not like Guy Williams, June Lockhart and Billy Mumy -- Mr. Mumy being the quintessential 'adorable kid.'

Lessons for aspiring authors:

(1) Develop interesting and likable (or at least intriguing) characters.
(2) Put them in danger and keep them there.

There are lots of types of danger our characters can face, the most obvious being physical danger. Staying in the 1960's TV show category, these shows had a number of standby 'danger' techniques. You know the ones I mean. There is the classic situation of failing brakes while traveling down a steep, curvy road. Exciting stuff. Oh, and there's my personal favorite, the cliff fight scene. This is where the hero battles impossible odds while being pushed inevitably backward towards a cliff edge. Will he prevail or fall to his death?

We can laugh about these danger moments now, but these simple danger techniques kept us glued to our old Black and White TV's back in the day. Warning! Old guy reminiscing. Danger!

So, when the Robot in Lost in Space shouted "Danger," we knew two things: (1) Will Robinson was about to be in trouble and (2) something exciting was about to happen. Audiences might be more sophisticated and demanding today, but the importance of danger in story telling is no less valid today than forty years ago.

It is important to note, however, that danger comes in many forms and need not be mortal – or even physical. A lot of early American literature concentrates heavily on the danger to a characters' immortal souls. As authors, we can put our characters in other types of danger as well. The danger can be 'a moral danger' if our character is being driven to commit a heinous act. Another type of danger is 'emotional danger.' In The Marked One, when Pella lashes out at Beryl, the reader knows he is making a terrible mistake and that he is endangering his relationship with his love interest.

Your homework assignment: What other types of danger can we expose our characters?

Setting the Stage and… LIGHTS…CAMERA…ACTION!

2008-11-16T10:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, here's a tip. When writing a scene you must think of yourself as a stage director. So let's start there, say at the end of row three in a semi-darkened theater. But we want to do this exercise "in character" since this what you must do when you are writing your story. You must manage (juggle) character, plot, scene, setting, tone, dialogue, pace, conflict, tension and action. A lot to deal with, huh?

Let's color you in as "the director." I'm thinking short and pudgy with a bit of Napoleonic complex. Loves power. So how do we "show" these character traits? I always start with a name. We haven't determined if the director is male or female, but let's call her "Lady Di" (short for Lady Director).
This won't work? Any ideas why?
"Lady Di" is a powerful name – a name that will evoke strong images – beautiful, graceful, elegant, and tragic – to name just a few. If we called the director "Lady Di," these existing images and associations will conflict with the character we are trying to create. So, if we want to stick with "Di" as the director's name, it must be male director. Let's call him "Mr. Di."

"Carla, where's my Bloody Mary? You know I can't begin a morning stage set-up without a Bloody Mary," Mr. Di says while slapping his riding crop repeatedly against the top of a knee-high riding boot.
Mr. Di's personal assistant presents Mr. Di his Bloody Mary, her hand shaking slightly.
Mr. Di takes a sip and frowns. "Not enough Tabasco, Carla. Can't you do anything right? "

So what does this little bit of dialogue tell us about Di?

1. Possible substance abuse issue (Bloody Mary)
2. Rude, offensive, critical, and intimidating (lots of one-word descriptors fit this guy with 'Jerk' being the kindest.)
3. Given to use of "power props." (What does carrying a riding crop to work say about Di – not to mention the riding boots?)

Okay, you get the idea. Let's return to the stage where your scene is about to unfold. What kind of backdrop do we want for our stage? Tropical island? Nope. Too upbeat. A New York street scene? No. Still not right. Hint. It was a bit of a trick question. We already have the perfect backdrop. It is the semi-darkened theater and empty stage. What better place to showcase our cranky, and perhaps power-mad, "director?"

At this point we have a setting, we have tone, we have some tension, but no real conflict. To introduce some conflict, let's assume that Sergei (see prior blog post) and his teenage daughter are at the theater. But why is a fast-food worker and sometimes reluctant hitman even at the theater? Fair question. So let's assume that Sergei has opened up a small catering business. After all, this is America, where Sergei can be whoever and whatever he wants to be, right?

"You there," Di says, pointing his riding crop at Sergei's daughter. "Give me a spot on the girl," Di commands. A glaring spot light suddenly illuminates Sergei's daughter, causing her to flinch. Mr. Di grabs the girl by the hand, pulls her near, and rips open the top of her blouse.
"Carla! She won't do. She has no tits." I told you. The part calls for girl with big tits. Can't you do anything right?"
"Get your hands off her," Sergei roars, dropping the box of sandwiches he was carrying, his hands balling into fists.

Clearly Mr. Di is not a very nice person and this particular case of mistaken identity with Sergei's daughter is likely to cost him dearly. Now the scene we've just viewed is not fully developed, and the characters are still sketchy, but the point is to get you to think about your scenes in a "stage setting" context with characters entering, acting their parts, and exiting. We also want to present them against a backdrop that enhances the scene. The nearly empty theater allows us to focus almost entirely upon the boorish behavior of Mr. Di.

Think first about what you want to accomplish in a particular scene – and what you wish to reveal about your characters. In this scene, I wanted to reveal a bullying director. Think this scene unrealistic? Think again. I have a friend who is a stage actress. Her director is just as abusive Mr. Di and thinks nothing of "manhandling" her and the other actresses. To be fair, however, he does not carry a riding crop or wear knee-high riding boots to the theater.

Based upon what you know about Di and Sergei, what is going to happen next? How will Sergei and Carla react to Di's terrible behavior? Will Carla quit? Will Sergei's daughter defend herself? From whose Point of View (POV) do you want to present the scene? Whose emotions do you want to showcase? Do you wish to go with an omniscient POV? Perhaps go with Carla's POV. Sergei wasn't there for the entire scene, so we probably should not use his POV.

It's an interesting exercise. Have fun with it. Happy writing!

Bob

Building Character – Part II

2008-11-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

Where do you find characters? Simple answer: Everywhere.

I met Sergei at a fast food restaurant in the Salt Lake City airport. If you spend as much time in airports as I do, you soon learn that here is where you will find the least friendly, least attentive service. The folks behind the counter generally could care less about you. After all, they will likely never see you again. Their only concern is how much time remains on their shift and how long it will take them to work through the twenty or so people behind you.

Not so with Sergei. Sergei made eye contact with me and assisted me with my order. He didn't act rushed or seem impatient with questions he must hear hundreds of times a day. I liked Sergei and took a seat across from his station so that I could observe him. Sure enough, Sergei's mission was to ensure each customer with whom he came in contact had the best possible dining experience.

Now, I'm sure Sergei recognized that he did not work at the top of the employment food chain – pun intended. But this clearly didn't matter. He was in America and in America you can be anything you want. And it appeared to me for the next half-hour while watching Sergei that what he wanted was to be the best fast-food worker he could be. He was attentive, courteous and a bit older than the average server and he took his job seriously.

Sergei was not a snappy dresser. His dark pants were worn and his shirt a bit faded, but he wore his white smock with pride as if he were the restaurant's executive chef. The only thing that stood out about Sergei's clothing was a pair of tricked-out sneakers that seemed out of place with the rest of his clothing. The shoes seemed to say, "Hi. Look at me. I belong to Sergei. I'm new to America and I'm going places."

Are you feeling a character coming on? Good. So, how to take this few minutes of observation of Sergei and build him into a full-fledged, I-want-to-spend-time-with-this-guy, character?

NAME: Okay, let's give Sergei his name. Let's call him. Sergei Pavlovich. But what does this name tell us about Sergei? Nothing, right? It's just a name for our character. Notice that Sergei does not have a middle name. Everyone he knew growing up had at least three names. Sergei always felt badly about this – that his parents didn't care enough to give him a decent Russian name.

OCCUPATION: What is Sergei's occupation? Fast-food worker. Got it. But what did he do before this? What if he used to be a hitman for the Russian mob? Let's work with this for a moment.

WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER'S MAJOR GOAL? He wants to escape the mob and he wants to be a 'good' American.

WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER'S MAJOR PROBLEM? He still has to support his family by acting as a freelance hitman. But, but, but… he only kills people who deserve it. He screens the assignments his anonymous clients give him. Remember… Sergei really wants to be a good American.

HOW WILL THIS CHARACTER'S PROBLEMS GET WORSE? Well, the mob could find him, but let's put that on hold for a moment. Let's say that Sergei has been set up and ends up killing an innocent man. How would Sergei react? Notice that we are moving into plot, but that's Okay. Let's say that Sergei decides to seek out his deceitful employer and take his revenge.

Now, what do we know about Sergei so far?

PERSONAL DATA:
Sex: Male
Age: 36
Birthplace: Russia – But where in Russia? Moscow? Nah, too easy. Let's say he is from Czernowitz in the Ukraine. Now this town is mostly Jewish, also poor. Let's say that Sergei is not Jewish, so he grew up as an outcast in this community. He hates religion. In fact, it was this hatred that led him into the "hitman business." Perhaps he took assignment to take out a problematic Rabbi who got in the way of mob business.

What else do we know? Well, we have lots of character contrast going on. Sergei is a killer, but he's likable. He is a killer coming from a religious community and has moved to one of the most religious parts of America. And he absolutely hates religion, but he cannot escape it in Salt Lake. This probably makes Sergei tense. Tense is good. We like tense. Maybe this is why Sergei took the job in the airport – to get away from the heavy Mormon influence in Salt Lake.

You will (hopefully) remember from the first posting on 'Building Character' that we said we want characters that react to each other, but it is also helpful to put your characters in situations in which they are uncomfortable and in environments in which they stand out.

Let's move on. Married? No. Children: One daughter, age 17. What other key relationships does Sergei have? Where is the mother of his child? Is his daughter with him? Does she know what he does? Is he a loving father? What are his plans for his daughter? (Fathers always have plans for their kids.)

What we are looking to develop is not just an understanding of Sergei, but a history that contributes to his motivations, desires, fears and dreams.

Would Sergei work as the main character of a novel? Possibly, but very difficult. While there is a lot to work with here, Sergei is, afterall, a bad guy. A conflicted bad guy, but a bad guy nonetheless. The challenge will be to make him sympathetic enough that a reader could past the fact that he kills people. Now, if Sergei were truly retired from the hitman business, this would be a lot easier, but then we have removed the major source of tension and conflict for this character.

Alright, party is over. Your homework assignment is to finish developing Sergei. Color him in. We have to know his hair color, body build, height, weight. He is far from fully developed. What are his likes, dislikes, favorite foods?

Building Character

2008-10-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

When asked why he robbed banks, the famous bank robber, Willie Sutton replied, "Because that's where the money is." If asked to explain why I read and write books, the answer would be equally simple. "Because that's where the characters are." I do not think I am unusual in my motivation. People read books to be with characters – to enjoy them, to admire them, but mostly just to share their experiences.

The natural evolution of this motivation is something referred to as character-driven fiction. But what does "character-driven fiction" really mean? It means that the characters drive the story.

I know, I know. About now you're saying, "Duh!" Okay, so how exactly do we create strong, driving, interesting, multi-dimensional characters? Answer: We build them from the ground up.

Once I have an idea for a storyline, I start with a one-inch 3-ring binder that I use build my characters. Each character has a section and a four or five page character profile. The character profiles take up only a portion of the binder. Behind each profile, I include articles, photos, clippings – things that I've read in newspapers, online or in magazines or collected from the library that might help me bring my characters life.

What do I mean by this? Well, let's say your protagonist's parents were alcoholics – or maybe he or she was an abused child. There is a tremendous amount of material in your local library an on the web that address the human condition. In the examples I mentioned, both children and adults who grew up in these circumstances react to life situations differently than other people. I have a friend who, as a child, was physically abused. One day I reached up quickly to swat a mosquito on my head and noticed that my friend flinched and recoiled. My unexpected action triggered this person's 'I'm gonna get hit' reaction. Even as an adult, this person was hard-wired to react to sudden gestures by others. It was a revealing moment.

Alright, so we build our characters physically. In our character profile, we record appearance, hair color, eye color, skin color, scars, tattoos, etc. This is the obvious and easy part. But we also have to build them in depth. To do this, we go back in time. All the way back to school days. What were their favorite subjects? Were they part of the "in" group or were they nerds or geeks? Were they "cool" or socially awkward? Who did they hang out with? Were they a cheerleader or a member of the band? What forces shaped them as they grew up? What are their habits, good and bad? This history helps shape and give depth to the emotional and personality traits you give your characters.

We will talk a lot more about character profiling, but I first want to discuss the juxtaposition of characters. Opposites attract. Tension attracts. Think about the quintessential "Odd Couple," Felix and Oscar. A sitcom about a compulsively organized character like Felix probably would not last past the pilot episode, but toss this person in with his natural opposite, Oscar, and you have tons of conflict, tension, and comedic opportunity. The thing I like most about the pairing of Felix and Oscar is how their interaction reveals as much about themselves as it does the other person.

As one of my former professors would say, "Teaching Point:" The contrast created by pairing opposing characters provides deeper contrast and will give you, the author, a lot more to material with which to work.

In The Marked One, my main character, Pella, stands in stark contrast to most of his fellow characters. He is shy, socially awkward, lacks confidence and is politically naïve. These traits stand out each time he interacts with other characters in the book. In other words, the cast of characters provides a backdrop against which Pella is illuminated. As each of the cast members step onto center stage, they too are illuminated against the same backdrop and this contrast makes for a richer, and hopefully, more interesting story.

Ebon Melanos is Pella's opposite. He is wealthy, powerful, handsome, tough and ruthless, but in many subtle ways he is like Pella. Both characters are vulnerable and both have their demons. Pella's gentleness is best seen when in contrast with Ebon. But as Pella's character develops and is molded by the events that unfold, he and Ebon appear to have more in common than one might think. As Pella hardens and becomes more like Ebon, this is a form of danger. A classic rule of novel writing is put your characters in danger and keep them there.

So where does this leave us? It is not just enough to build good, complex characters with solid motivations; the author must analyze and understand how the characters' chemistry reacts. As I built my story's cast, I carefully examined how each of the characters would react, not just to the main character, but to each of the other characters in the novel.

Think of your characters in terms of a chemistry set. When I was a kid, and after I tired of running traditional experiments, I would combine random chemicals just to see how they would react… always hoping for something exciting to happen. I do the same thing with my characters, only there is nothing random about them. Every character is there for reasons -- to reveal, to react, to contrast and, yes, to cause something explosive to happen. Characters that do not 'react' when placed in proximity with other members of the cast, do not make it into a story.

Another tip about character building: Hopefully your characters will not remain static. Each will grow and evolve as the story progresses. As the author, you obviously have to chart this path for each of your characters. So, as we move beyond blue eyes and bulging biceps of character development, we need to ask, "How does this character grow in the story? What life lessons does he or she learn as the story progresses? How are they molded by the forces the novel brings to bear? HAPPY WRITING!

Welcome to Writers Passage Blog!

2008-10-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

Hi - and welcome to our blog. It's here that we can discuss writing projects, offer input, and share ideas!

Let me know what you would like to see here - and we'll get started!

Bob Rhodes
Writers Passage
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