writercises | Entries tagged with memorable

Hey, y'all. On Facebook, I've noticed people challenging each other to give thanks. That's right, think about things in your life that you are thankful for, and say thank you! Which, of course, could be expanded into a whole little exercise. I mean, there's probably lots of things you are thankful for, and people, and situations, and... hey, you might even want to write a little story, poem, or something about being thankful? I mean, that old Thanksgiving story of the Pilgrims and the Indians is lots of fun, but maybe you've got another story? About that time when... Tell us about a time when you were thankful, or maybe still are thankful? Put us in that setting, make us feel the tension, and the release, and that burst of thanksgiving feeling? For example... I remember one fall trip to Ohio, long ago, when we were sitting at the back of the traffic stopped near Wheeling, West Virginia (if I remember correctly). It was two lines of traffic, coming down a long, long slope, curving behind us. My father looked in the mirror, and made some kind of noise. We all looked back, and saw a big truck, barreling full speed down that hill. His brakes had failed. We were right in the path, with nowhere to go. Then the trucker did the smart thing. He turned, across the median, which was a big drop at that point, and flew across and bounced down the empty lanes on the other side. I have no idea what happened when he hit the little town that lay ahead, or whether he managed to slow down somewhere along the way. But our family said a big thank you that day, for one smart trucker who took the risk of jumping that truck across instead of just smashing into the cars sitting there. There you go! So what is your story about being thankful, about giving thanks?

original posting 5 February 2009

Will you remember me in the morning?

Writer's Digest, February 2006, the column on Fiction Essentials by James Scott Bell, on pages 18 to 19, suggests that you add one or more of these important traits to your lead character to make a hero that everyone will remember. "Grit, Wit, and 'It'"

Bell starts out by reminding us that John Gardner pointed out that memorable characters make memorable novels. So you want to have compelling, interesting characters. Stop and think about it -- when you think about a novel, a really great story, don't you think about the person in the middle? So what makes a character unforgettable?

Grit. Courage in the face of challenges, threats, catastrophe. When the going gets tough... and the way that characters show grit is through action. You need to set it up, and then prove it. So early in the story, there need to be some smaller challenges -- and the character can either stand up to these or give in. Then, in the climax, that's when the character really shows true grit. "Be sure to play up your character's inner battle at the time of challenge. This will add a layer of depth to the confrontation. No one except James Bond goes into battle without fear."
Wit. Laughing with a character is good. Someone who provides you with sharp insights, often self deprecating. You can show your character making fun of him or herself early in the book. Or perhaps you want to take the edge off of some of the sentimentality? Characters with wit that the reader enjoys are hard to forget.
It. Apparently this is an oldie, that means personal magnetism. The kind of person that walks into a room and everyone looks, either in admiration or envy. So how do you build that kind of a character? Bell suggests starting with a visual image -- find the magazine picture that fits your character. Second, take them to an imaginary party. What do the other people at the party do when your character walks in? What do they say? Third, do some foreshadowing. Have a scene early in the story where someone is drawn to the main character.

So that's the suggestions. Add one or more of these characteristics to your character, and see what happens.

Exercise? How about starting with the characters that you remember from your favorite stories. What makes them unforgettable? Is it one of these three characteristics, or is it something else? Whatever it is, think about how it was shown to you in that story. Now borrow that characteristic and that method of exposing it, and translate it into your own work in progress. Think about how your main character might display that characteristic.

And write.

when you wish upon a star . . .

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The Place For My Writers Notes

Entries tagged with memorable

EXERCISE: Thank You for Thanksgiving!

TECH: Unforgettable Characters

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