Hone your craft

One of my biggest problems in the early days was that I wasn’t ready.

Put simply, my writing wasn’t good enough. I hadn’t studied the craft anywhere near as much as I should have. I didn’t understand formatting, couldn’t write tight, didn’t understand characterisation, settings were a blur, I knew nothing about brainstorming, point of view, writing with a twist, or any of those other fantastic techniques I now have at my fingertips.

In this book, I am going to guide you through every step I needed to take. But you will have someone taking you by the hand; someone who has been there and knows how hard it can be without confidence or the right mentor.

Contests come in many shapes and forms; they can be for entire novels, one chapter of a novel, the opening paragraph of a novel, novel synopsis, first kiss or meeting (of the main protagonists), short stories, or even just the opening line of either a short story or novel.

There are many that only want a title or a certain number of words from the beginning of the story. Some are more interested in the twist at the end, and others still may be proposal contests, where you write a complete proposal for a book, whether it be fiction or non-fiction. I have entered just about every contest type listed here.

What you want to get out of contests is up to you. Knowing how to win is the hardest part; this book will guide you toward that goal.

The very first thing I suggest is to learn as much about your craft (writing) as you possible can on an ongoing basis.

There are loads of books you can read to help with your task, as well as online and offline workshops you could take. How you go about it is not so important, but hone your writing you must. There are way too many writers in this world to take a chance on not being up there with the best.

I have added my personal suggestions and recommendations for books and workshops to the end of this book.

It’s hard to keep track of all the classes I’ve taken over the years. With each and every one, I’ve learned something new. It may have only been one thing over the last class, but each tutor, each workshop, each subject, brings new knowledge.

Here’s a list of some of the courses I’ve attended:

Creative Writing

Short Story Writing

Writing for the Screen

Freelance Journalism

Children’s Fiction

Visualisation for Creative Writing Parts 1 & 2

Writing with Your Own Voice

Secrets of Romance Writing

Fiction Writing

Character and Back-story

Criminal Nutshelling

Each of the above were ‘live’ classes and they were all with pretty impressive Australian writers with lots of credits under their belts. (Anne Gracie, Shane Maloney, Andrea Goldsmith, Lindy Cameron, Cecilia Dart Thornton, and Maureen McCarthy - to mention just a few.)

With each class, a new glimpse of the craft was gleaned. Looking at this list, you’d expect a lot of money was spent. Not so; my local council runs a lot of workshops at reasonable prices, and others have been undertaken at writer’s conferences and retreats.

It’s a good idea to join a ‘live’ writer’s group if you can. One that gives individual feedback would be preferred, but other important things you can get from a writer’s group are support, friendship, and understanding.

Many online groups also have critiquing included, and some have ‘spin-off’ groups that have been set up solely for critiquing each others work.

In addition to the above suggestions, subscribe to some ezines for writers. You’ll find my list of recommended ones here.

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Building Characters:

3D vs. Cardboard Cut Outs

When I began to take my writing seriously, my writing friends all told me to build realistic characters, not cardboard cut outs. Well that’s fine, except I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about, so I just nodded my agreement.

Trouble was, I couldn’t do what I didn’t understand.

From conversations I’ve had with writers over the last few years, I am not unique.

I won’t lie to you; it’s not an easy task to create full-bodied, well-rounded, and believable characters. But with practice, and the right knowledge, you can do it, just like I did.

First of all, think about the story you want to write; you need to fit your characters to the story, otherwise there’s just no point.

Okay, have you done that? Good, let’s start then.

I want you to think about one character at a time. Trying to create more than one protagonist at the same time is extremely difficult. So difficult, I never attempt to do so.

Close your eyes for just a moment - envisage your character. (For this exercise, I’m going to use the masculine.)

Can you see him in your mind’s eye?

We’ll start with his physical appearance:

Is he tall, short or of medium height?

Does he have long hair, short hair, or no hair at all?

Is it black, brown, blond, or auburn? Or maybe he has one of those outlandish green or bright red colours through his hair.

What shade of his particular colour does he have? Remember, hair comes in light, dark and medium. There’s also (the colour you chose) with blond or grey streaks.

Now that you have his hair colour and type determined, think about how he wears his hair. If it’s long, does he wear it tied back in a ponytail, or does it hang loose around his shoulders? Is it plaited or in a bun? (Yes, men do wear their hair that way – I have a cousin who wears his long hair plaited, particularly on special occasions.)

Let’s move to his face now.

Is his face round, oval or long?

Is his nose large, small, or average? Perhaps he has a scar on his nose.

Are his eyes blue, green, grey, brown, or some other colour?

Does he have a strong jaw line, a chin that jots out, or are they rather insignificant?

What about his ears? Do they stick out, or are they tucked in nicely against his head?

Are his lips thick, making his mouth stand out, or are they thin and uninteresting?

Moving down, are his shoulders wide and arms strong, or is he weak and wimpy looking?

Is his belly flat and taut, or does he have a beer-belly?

Does he wear clothes that show his hairy chest, or is his chest hairless?

Is he over-weight and out of proportion, or does he look after his physique?

A lot of this information may seem pointless at this stage, but as the author, you need to know your characters totally. Every intimate detail must be known to you; otherwise, your characters will not react the way you want them to.

Now I want you to think about the type of clothes your character will wear.

If he’s a detective, for instance, he may need to dress in a suit for work, and may carry a briefcase with him. He’s likely to slob around after hours.

If you have created someone who works as a mechanic, he may like to dress a little better once his workday is finished. Perhaps he would use a backpack or duffle bag to take his lunch to work, and possibly a coat.

If he owns or works in a gymnasium, his attire would be completely different again. In this situation, you are probably looking at track pants and t-shirt or similar, and he would wear sneakers or runners on his feet. He would probably carry a gym bag.

What kind of clothes is your character likely to wear to work, and what type would he wear after hours? List as many as you can, including any shoes and hats that may be appropriate.

Now we are going to get a bit more personal with him.

Is your character married?

If not, why not?

Does his occupation prevent him from carrying on a normal relationship?

Does he have social problems that prevent him from relating to people?

Does his job take him away from home often?

Does he mix well with other people, particularly those of the opposite sex?

This time I want you to ask him some rather unusual questions. Make him answer you truthfully, because if you don’t understand him fully, he will not react the way he should when you put him into precarious or unusual situations.

Has he ever been attacked by another person?

Did he retaliate, or just let it happen?

Has he even been in a car accident?

Does he have a phobia of any kind? For instance, is he afraid or spiders, snakes, mice, or heights? Do large expanses of water make him afraid? If so, what is the reason for that?

Does he drive a car? If not, why not?

Does he like animals, or is he cruel to them? If the latter, make him tell you why.

What is his favourite pet? Cats, dogs, birds, mice, or some other creature?

Is there a reason for that choice?

Does he like children? If not, why not?

Is he an only child? If so, why?

If he has a lot of siblings, how does he relate to them?

Are his parents still alive?

If any are deceased, how did they die?

What is his greatest achievement in life?

What was his worst moment?

Is he short tempered?

Or maybe he’s extremely patient?

Is he a party-animal, or would he rather stay at home and watch a movie. Or perhaps he would rather spend time making furniture or undertake some other hobby?

Does he have any appalling habits?

What are they?

Is he trustworthy? If not, what is behind that fact?

What is the thing he is most afraid of in life?

If he found out today that he only had two months to live, what would he want to achieve?

Now give him a name and date of birth. I normally do this after I’ve created my character using the above questions and any others I may feel are necessary. Why? Because until I’ve done a full work-up, I have no idea what name will suit him.

You can also work out his star sign, and learn more about the personality traits of people born under that sign. Strange as it sounds, this will give you more insight into your character, and add another dimension to him.

I sometimes use a book on Chinese Horoscopes as well. That can be quite insightful too. If you don’t have the latter two resources available, it won’t matter; I just find they are of additional benefit. (I obtained my Chinese Horoscopes book for $1 from my local library when they were selling off damaged books.)

I also create a family tree for my characters, including his parents, siblings, their partners and any children they have. I list everyone closely related, including any deceased family members. Doing this gives me a much better idea of the family hierarchy, and how each person relates to others within the family.

It also helps to keep characters – particularly secondary characters – clear in my mind. Once the story is well underway, that will, of course, become clearer. But in the early stages, it can be difficult.

Once I’ve done my family trees (one for each main character), I then scribble little notes next to each branch where necessary. These will eventually be added into my ‘profiles’ that I will later create for the main protagonists.

After working your way through this exercise, if your character is still not totally clear in your mind, you need to add more questions, depending on what it is that seems foggy to you.

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Building Characters:

Sample Characters

Here are two characters I created for my current WIP. Although the novel is underway – around 9,000 words written - I’m still working on them. (Characters grow with the book)

Hopefully these character charts will give you a little extra insight into how I go about creating my characters.

Relevant to: Arms of a Stranger – Romantic Suspense Novel

Main Protagonist: Kareena Ellis – Female Character

28 years old

Nature: Suspicious, wary

Height: 5’4"

Hair: Short cropped & brown

Eyes: Brown

Occupation: Kindergarten teacher

Favourite Fragrance: Orange Essence.

(Orange signifies relaxation and clarity of mind)

Family: Parents both living, one brother, one sister

Transport: Commodore

Living arrangements: Flat

Where: Melbourne (?suburb -- Richmond)

Pets: None

Background:

Quiet, unassuming person. Loves children, especially pre-school age, which is why she chose to be a kindergarten teacher rather than primary teacher.

Marital Status:

Single, and likes it that way; no one to worry about, no one to answer to either. Not the sort to go out partying or drinking, and doesn’t like disco’s. Never goes on a ‘first date’ without either knowing the guy through a friend, or double dating.

Personality Traits:

Until recently, was fairly trusting. Since she witnessed a murder outside the kindergarten where she works, Kareena is extremely wary, and trusts no one.

Other relevant information:

Since the life-changing event (i.e. witnessing a murder) Kareena has become more self-sufficient. Previously, she could get by, but didn’t use her instincts very much; she had no need to. These days, self-preservation is paramount.

Still, she feels the police are over-reacting. Just because she witnessed a murder does not mean her life is in danger. And she certainly does not need police protection, which was offered. They also discussed the witness protection plan, but Kareena could see no need for anything of that sort.

At times Kareena wonders why she even reported the murder, but knows deep in her heart that she did the right thing. Although it placed her own life in jeopardy, there was only one option; become the star witness.

* * * * *

Main Protagonist: Mason Bradshaw – Male Character

35 years old

Nature: Friendly, easy going, strong, supportive

Height: 6’2"

Hair: Short, wavy, black

Eyes: Blue

Occupation: Personal Trainer – owns a gym

Family: mother living, father deceased, only child

Transport: Four-wheel-drive

Living arrangements: House on the peninsula

Where: Hastings – outside the metropolitan area of Melbourne

Pets: Parrot

Background:

Fitness fanatic. Originally his occupation was personal trainer, but he saw all profits going to someone else, and he was working for peanuts.

Ambitious, but not money hungry. Likes to see the ‘little people’ get their break in life.

Mason is a loner, and prefers tranquility, while at the same time he likes to get out ‘with the boys’ and socialize. Closest friend works for Australian Federal Police.

Mason’s biggest regret in life is that his father didn’t get to witness his success. In his heart he knows it doesn’t matter; his father loved him and was extremely proud of his son.

Marital Status:

Single, but would like to find his soul-mate and settle down. Wants children, but not too many.

On principal, will not date women from his gym; it makes no difference whether they are employees or members.

Personality Traits:

Trusting and trustworthy. Always gives people the benefit of doubt. Positive outlook, and rejects negativity.

Tries not to get involved, but would never let anyone down, stranger or friend. Deep thinker, but acts quickly when required.

Other relevant information:

Mason lives a comfortable lifestyle. He prefers to live in the outer suburbs than in the hustle and bustle of the city.

His home overlooks the ocean, and he would much prefer to sit and watch the setting sun than to spend time watching television.

Often goes for bush walks in his spare time, and loves to walk along the seashore, which is within walking distance of his home.

© Cheryl Wright 2004 All rights reserved

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Building Characters:

Unique Personalities

Just as you need to ensure that your characters use realistic dialogue and speak appropriately for their role, it’s equally as important to give them unique mannerisms.

You want each individual character to be… well, individual. One way to achieve that is to give each of them a specific mannerism. It could be flicking stray hair back, licking their lips when nervous, or even cracking their neck.

While you’re sitting around observing victims, er, people, watch how each one has different mannerisms.

Many people talk with their hands, some may put their hands on their hips – particularly if they’re trying to make a point – and others may put their hand in front of their mouths.

Others will scratch their nose, pull at their ear, or shove their hands deep into pockets. Some people use a power stance to get the better of others, and many will sit down rather than be accused of doing the former.

Children have mannerisms as well. When my four year old grandson is playing a trick on someone, he will cover his mouth with both hands to ensure you can’t see him laughing. My three year old granddaughter stomps one foot when she’s mad about something. (Yes, I know, she has a terrible temper!)

The two year old flops onto the floor and leans forward, putting her face to the floor. (I wish I was even half as nimble!)

You would do well to learn more about body language. There are many books around, and I’m sure you could secure a copy from your local library.

Another way to give your character a unique personality is in their speech.

Think about some of your most favourite television characters; what is it that makes them so unique, so different from the other characters in the same show? Listen carefully to their speech; does it differ greatly, is it similar, or the same as every other character?

I’m willing to bet that 99.9% of the time just about everything about them is different, including their dialogue.

It could be something as simple as the way he addresses people: when he’s given an order to those working under him, he might say "What are you waiting for? Go on then; scoot!"

Or perhaps he addresses certain people particular ways, with a pet name or nickname. He may use specific words on a regular basis that makes his dialogue easy to pick.

"Shaken not stirred." I’ll just bet you know who says that. It’s James Bond, of course. No matter who is playing the part (Sean Connery, Roger Moore, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton, or Pierce Brosnan) - the famous Bond expression is often used, and well known.

Another television character that stands out in my mind is "Monk" – the hapless detective who is afraid of just about everything. The writer who created this character is brilliant, absolutely brilliant, and was certainly ‘thinking outside the square’ when working on the concept for this television show. (I rarely watch television, but always make time for this show)

If you do decide to give your characters their own set of unique or distinctive words, please, write them down. Don’t take the chance on not getting it right somewhere down the track in your story.

While working on a comedy/crime novel last year, the female protagonist suddenly changed her expression from ‘pah-lease!’ to ‘pa-lease!’ about a quarter of the way through the story. You guessed it; as soon as I discovered the anomaly I put up a huge sign of ‘pah-lease!’ not far from my computer. (And yes, pah-lease! is an exasperated version of please!)

* * * * *

Building Characters:

Body Language

When you meet someone new, one of the first things you do – often unconsciously – is make an assessment on them. That is, whether or not you like them, and what it is that gives you that impression.

Body language has a lot to do with it.

For instance, when you’re talking to someone and they’re saying ‘yes’ but shaking their head ‘no’ do you believe what they’re saying? I sure as hell don’t. Their body language is saying the total opposite to their words. It makes it extremely difficult for me to believe people like that.

Another way of reading body language is by looking at people’s eyes. If they won’t look you in the eye, then more likely than not they’re either lying or ‘fudging the truth’. For instance, if they are smiling at you or laughing with you, look at their eyes. Does the smile or laughter ‘go all the way to their eyes’? I’m sure you’ve heard the expression; anyone can fake a smile, but if they are truly happy, their eyes (and the area around them) will change as well.

You can give your characters extra depth by using body language. For instance, in "Saving Emma" I have Gary using his height as a thing of power. That is, he stands above people, leaning over them, trying to make them do things they don’t want to do. In other words, he intimidates them.

Clothes can also help with body language. I recall an incident many years ago when I had a tradesman coming to my home – a tradesman I didn’t particularly like because he was a manipulator. The first time I met him, I was in my work uniform which was a dress. Early on in our conversation I realised he thought he could ‘put one over’ women. Next time I met him, I made certain I wore slacks, and lo and behold, I didn’t have a problem.

Body language comes in many forms. For instance, if a person is nervous, they may twist their hands in their lap, or fidget about. Instead of standing still, they might move from one foot to the other, or clasp their hands behind them, then move them to the front.

An aggressive person is more likely to ‘invade your space’ by getting extremely close to you, often moving within inches of your face. Sometimes they will even grab you by the shoulders if they are particularly aggressive or angry.

If someone is especially happy to meet you, they might shake your hand with both of theirs. If nervous, their hand may be sweating.

If meeting an opponent, a person is more likely to sit opposite you, so that they can read your body language; whereas a colleague is more inclined to sit by your side.

Someone who has bad news to portray will turn their back if the opportunity arises, but one with good news will face you, and look you right in the eye.

Body language can be an excellent ally when used appropriately in your writing.

If you’d like to learn more, here’s a good website that I recently found, that has a ton of information about body language.

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