Characterize This!

I was over at Absolute Write today and someone in the Writing Novels forum posted a thread topic about using character sheets. This person was told by an “experienced and published author” that in order to make a successful novel she needed to write a character sheet for each character. She then invited comments on the character sheet she came up with.

The sheet itself was a very long form. It listed everything from the character’s name to how they felt about crime.

I really wanted to reply to this post, but I couldn’t find a truly diplomatic way to tell her to stop listening to this so-called “experienced and published author” and start thinking for herself. Maybe character sheets are necessary for this author to be successful, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone.

I totally agree with the poster who replied with: “If I were to take a character form and just try to create somebody from scratch by filling in stuff, I'd never end up with a character, I'd end up with cardboard.”

Think of your character as someone you just met. Do you need to know all that stuff about them to be their friend? No, you don’t. All you need to know is that you have something in common and the rest will be revealed as you spend time with them and get to know them better.

The only way I could see using a character sheet is if I was looking for a new form of procrastination.

Is It Friday Yet?

This week did not turn out the way I expected. Not writing wise, not any wise.

Today I couldn’t write fast enough - 2000 words outlining a new story idea that’s been bugging the crap out of me all week. I finally wrote it down to get it out of my head. Now I keep thinking of things to add to it. It’s going to be a space type steamy romance - not quite erotica, but there’s one scene that comes very close.

I added 700 words to Changeling earlier in the week, cut 1400 yesterday, and then added 850 today. I think that still leaves me on the minus side.

I didn’t get any work done on DIF, but I did add 1200 words to Magic.

Not great, but not bad at all considering this was both a short week and I spent most of it feeling sick.

Holy Interruptus Batman!

So, I’m sitting here, working on the very last sex scene in Magic. I decided to re-work the ending of the book because even though my main character has progressively more graphic sex with a series of phantoms, the one person she doesn’t have sex with is the guy she ends up with in the end. Not only does she need to have sex with him, she needs to wake up with him the next morning to prove he isn’t just one of her phantoms.

Anyway, I’m sitting here, merrily typing away, my characters are divesting themselves of their clothing, and in walks . . . my husband, with his octogenarian aunt. Talk about your bucket of cold water!

See, this is another good reason to have more than one WIP going at a time. I was able to quickly switch to a document without so much sex in it before auntie came down the hall to have a chat.

So, what’s the big deal?

Quite frankly, while I have no problem writing about sex and I have no problem with strangers reading what I’ve written, it’s a whole other story when it comes to family. Especially elderly family.

Yeah, I know, I’m a sad case. But there’s hope for me.

A few weeks ago I thought writing erotica was just too far out of my comfort zone. At this point I would have to categorize Magic as just that, and you know what? It’s been fun to write. So I’m sure that once it’s finished and sold I will have no problem with family seeing it.

But not until I’m ready.

Hump Day

I’ve been working on Changeling today. I still feel like crap but I decided I was going to feel like crap whether I got any writing done or not so I might as well suck it up.

I have to admit, I’m at one of those points where the story seems to flounder a bit. I’m sure that most of what I’ve been writing will end up cut in edits, but at least I’m pushing through.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

After reading a lot of good books lately, I’ve started to wonder why I’m doing this - writing that is. There are so many excellent books out there that what chance do I have of getting published? Fortunately, most of these books have been vampire romances, and other than one short scene in Magic, I stay away from writing about vampires. As I said, too many good ones out there already.

However, today I started reading a book that isn’t a vampire romance, and to be honest, it isn’t very well written. If I were the author, I’d be doing some serious editing. There were a lot of preachy paragraphs (paragraphs where the author seemed more interested in preaching her world view instead of moving the story along) strung together and the dialogue was very soap-operaish.

And this wasn’t some low budget book either, this was a Silhouette Nocturne, the first book in a series. And the author has written many other books for Harlequin/Silhouette.

I think I enjoyed it all the more because it was so badly done. Woo hoo! There’s hope for me yet!

Weekender

Remember how I said earlier in the week about how I was going to print out what I had of Driving Into Forever so I could take a look at it and figure out how to fix it? Didn’t happen.

I must have had a brain fart when I thought I’d get any writing done. It was the Canadian Thanksgiving, which meant I was pretty much booked solid. And apparently three days of forced socialization was more than I’m able to take, because I’m really sick today.

Actually, it’s my own fault for being sick. I hadn’t had anything to eat yet when I went to the in-laws yesterday so what was the first thing I had? A couple of deviled eggs. On an empty stomach. Have I mentioned I can’t eat eggs? I’m not sure if it’s an allergy or what, all I know is they make me sick.

The bottom line is, I got no writing done on the weekend, and I’m probably not going to get much done today. Tomorrow better be one hell of a good day.

Friday Count

I don’t know why, but I always think I’ve done more work on Changeling than I actually show in my word counts. Maybe because I’ve been taking my time with it. Hopefully, that means I’ll have less editing to do when the time comes.

Don’t worry, I’m not counting on it.

Driving Into Forever is still driving me crazy. I think part of it is my need to explain everything so much in the beginning. I’m going to print off what I have so far and then try to work out an outline of some kind.

Magic +16
Changeling +2367
Driving Into Forever +11,069
Total 13,452

Due to the Weather . . .

Yesterday was not a good day. Actually, this hasn’t really been a great week but yesterday was particularly bad because it was a cold, overcast, incredibly miserable day. My depression kicked in big time and to be honest, my husband was lucky I could even muster up the energy to make him supper.

I wandered around the internet for awhile, tried to get some writing done . . . read a new vampire book . . .

I did spend a lot of time in front of the computer with my other two WIP open. I skimmed through a little of Magic and changed the order of what happens next (I’ve already got the beginning and the ending done, in the middle I have a short, point form list of what else is going to happen). I wrote about 100 words in Changeling, deleted about 96 of them and gave up finally.

Here’s hoping today’s better.