There are so many things to love about being a writer.
For me, one in particular stands out. Analyzing
people. I love delving into the why’s and wherefore’s. Who are they? Where have
they come from? Why do they do what they do? All in the name of research, of
course. Legitimate people watching.
There are even times I turn that analysis onto
myself.
Let’s take a look. I’m an introvert. Shy, insecure.
Never quite sure what to say when I meet someone for the first time. I’m that
person at a party who clings to the shadows, or people I know, fumbling over
conversation because whatever I say just sounds plain dumb. Of course, I always
think of those witty, intelligent comments after the party’s over. Too late
then.
Well, I’m a writer. I don’t have to be witty on
demand.
When my characters speak, it may seem as if they have
all the answers, but I’ve had time to agonize over the words. Time to work out
what they should or shouldn’t say, how they should act and react, what fits well
within their nature.
You may ask, why is she telling me this?
Why, indeed?
There is a reason, method behind what must seem to be
my March Hare madness.
As writers, it’s easy to write characters we relate
to. Characters we understand, those gems whose minds and motivations we see
inside. Characters like ourselves. But what if we write characters who aren’t
like us? What then?
Speak to ten different writers about their characters
and you'll probably get ten different techniques for getting inside their head.
There are so many ways for us to find out more about
the leading men and women in our stories, and just as important, give our
readers insight into their varied characters.
I thought it might be fun today, to talk about just a
couple of the techniques I use.
1. WALK
A MILE IN THEIR SHOES
Literally.
Yes, some writers do just this – dress up as their
characters, even spend a day doing things that their characters do, whether it
be working in their chosen field, engaging in activities and hobbies they love,
even adopting certain likes, dislikes, cultural or ethical beliefs.
This could include taking part in particular religious
ceremonies or rituals (attending church or synagogue, observing Ramadan or the
Sabbath), changing daily routine or diet (getting up at the crack of dawn for
an exercise class or eating only vegan or kosher foods), or mirroring their character’s
appearance (changing hair color or style, visiting the local op shop to find
clothes their character would wear).
I have to admit, I’ve done some but not all of these when creating Jayda Thomasz, the heroine of my debut novel, Lethal in Love.
And here's me doing just that with the women of Melbourne Romance Writers Guild at our annual retreat. Our challenge, to bring our characters to life.
2. THE
POCKET/HANDBAG TEST
If you emptied the contents of your pockets or handbag
right now, what would you find? What goodies do you carry that gives insight
into who you are?
Let’s do this for Jayda.
She’s a homicide detective, so more often than not,
she doesn’t carry a handbag, so let’s empty her pockets and see what we can
discover.
Of course, there’s the obvious – a .40 calibre Smith
and Wesson M&P semi-automatic, a set of handcuffs and her detective’s badge.
On top of that, she always carries tweezers, gloves and a couple of evidence
bags. She is, after all, a workaholic. Just because she’s off the clock,
doesn’t mean she’s done for the day.
Let’s list the rest.
🔷Mobile phone – with a home screen picture of her family taken the day she graduated from the police academy. What importance does this place on her family? On her career?
🔷Gum – for those long nights working when she forgets to eat.
🔷$5 – never know when you’ll need a coffee, which is pretty much anytime J
🔷Choc covered coffee beans – a caffeine alternative if
she can’t get the real thing.
🔷Notebook and pen – she loves lists. Every decision requires
a list of pros and cons before she has a hope of making up her mind.
🔷Lip balm and mirror – she may not be a girly girl, but
she’s still a woman.
🔷Garter belt – still in her pocket after a short stint
undercover at a swinger’s party.
🔷Binoculars, torch, army knife and paperclips – she was
a girl scout, and she’s a stickler for their motto – ‘be prepared’.
🔷Scrunchie – Jayda has shortish hair, so she has no
need for this. Yet, she always has one in her pocket. Why? Because her sister consistently
forgets to bring one to their weekly interval training workout, so she always
has spares just in case.
On the flipside, let’s look at what she doesn’t carry
in her pockets.
No condom. Jayda doesn’t sleep around. And even more, in
the beginning of my story she's not interested in a physical relationship with
anyone but her soulmate – a man she is yet to find.
Do you feel as if you're getting to know Jayda? Who she is and what she's about?
Remember, it’s not always about what’s there.
Sometimes what’s missing gives us just as much insight into our character. It’s
surprising how much easier it is to slip inside our character’s head, once we’ve
seen inside their pockets!
3. PLAY
THE ‘WHAT IF?’ GAME
This is a great way for a writer to really understand their
characters, what motivates them, and how these motivations feed into everyday
actions and reactions.
As part of this game, a writer will put their
character into different, sometimes difficult, situations, then analyze their
response.
For example, what if we send our heroine out to dinner with friends? What if the toddler at the next table throws a handful of ice cream her way?
What if that sticky dripping mess lands on her favorite silk top or wool sweater? What if we dress our hero in a suit rather than his normal surfie board shorts and t-shirt? What if we drop him into a business meeting? What if he’s trying to convince prospective investors to invest in his business and that same toddler drops chocolate milkshake all over his lap?
What if our character gets caught in the rain? Would they run for cover, pull an umbrella out of their bag, or stop a second and enjoy the moment? Would they notice the sights, sounds and smells around them, or would they be too worried about their favorite suit or newly styled hair?
What if they’re late for an appointment and they witness an accident? Will they dial 911 or 000 and just leave, or will they stop and offer assistance? If they see an animal lying injured on the sidewalk, will they stop and help or will they walk on by?
Think about each of these situations and what a character’s reaction will reveal about them. Think about how much closer we feel to a character we can understand and relate to.
What if? is a lot of fun once you get into the swing of it,
and you’ll be surprised how much clearer and complex a character will become
once you have deeper understanding on how they approach different situations.
And that’s it. Three ways a writer can slip inside
their character’s mind and build a deeper, more relatable personality.
What do you think?
Can you imagine yourself or your
favorite author doing any or all of these exercises? How far do you think they should
go to really get into their character’s head? How far would you go?
Thanks so much for
stopping by!
If you’re a writer, what do you do to get into your characters? And if you’re a reader, what information should
the author include to help you get deep into the character’s mind?
I’d love to hear your ‘take’ on creating characters.
As always, have a fabulous month, and I look forward to seeing you all again in December. Wow,
where has the year gone!
Michelle Somers is a bookworm from way back. An
ex-Kiwi who now calls Australia home, she's a professional killer and
matchmaker, a storyteller and a romantic. Words are her power and her passion.
Her heroes and heroines always get their happy ever after, but she'll put them
through one hell of a journey to get there.
Michelle lives in Melbourne, Australia, with
her real life hero and three little heroes in the making. And Emmie, a furry
black feline who thinks she’s a dog. Her debut novel, Lethal in Love won the Romance Writers of Australia's 2016
Romantic Book of the Year (RuBY) and the 2013 Valerie Parv Award. The second in
her Melbourne Murder series, Murder Most Unusual was released in February 2017.
Please pop by and say 'hi' 😊
