Creating Characters to Care About

Lesson 1
Intro
When we care about a character in a novel, we usually don’t want the story to end. We want to find out what happens to them even after we’ve read the last page! We become so involved in their quest that we cry with them, laugh with them and agonize on their behalf. We learn from them, root for them and sometimes disagree with their choices. We’re invested! But that can only happen if the author has created a character readers can care about. And if you, the write, don’t care about them, neither will your readers. The goal is to create someone with whom your reader will willingly go with them on their journey. They will continue to turn the page just to find out how this character survives. It’s the first thing editors look for and they are your first readers!

To Find Out

• About Love languages http://www.fivelovelanguages.com/thefivelovelanguages/
  Learn about The Five Love Languages and decide which ones your main character has.
• About Learning style/personality profiles http://www.ministry.com/learningstyles.php and http://www.classervices.com/CS_Conferences_PTW_Resources.html
  Learn about either Learning Styles or Personality Profiles and assign these characteristics to your main character.
• About Physical characteristics
  These are the vital statistics about your main character. Birthdate, place of birth, what he/she looks like, physical imperfections, the way they dress, occupation, etc.
• About What your character wants or needsEditors love character-driven stories. They want to care enough about a character to read to find out what happens to them. Do they get what they want in the end? Do they grow through the adversity they face? It’s how we relate to one another through the written word. It is very powerful. So what does your character want or need? An emotional need (learn how to love again), a physical need (find a lost family member), a spiritual need (learn to trust God)? Give your character all three of these wants/needs/goals before ever starting to write. The rest of the story is an attempt to meet those goals.

To Remember
Characters act consistently with their personality. Someone who always jumps to conclusions will do so in your story. Someone who is easily discouraged will be so in your story when things go wrong. It isn’t as if suddenly that person acts “out of character.” In order for your character to be believable and someone your reader cares about, they need to be consistent in their reactions, responses and attitudes to the personality you gave them in the beginning.

Even an antagonist (the bad guy/gal) must have something that is relatable or loveable about them. It’s what makes them human. A woman who consistently breaks the trust of family and friends might also be a foster mother to stray animals. Find a redeeming quality even for your bad guy.

Protagonists shouldn’t be perfect people. We all have flaws. If your main character is too perfect they will distance the reader. Readers want to relate to a character in some way. Give your main character a flaw, but not a fatal flaw. Maybe your hero is a good husband and father, but he’s also spends too much money on model trains and it frustrates his wife to no end. It’s the thing that you first loved about your mate when you met them, but after 15 years of marriage it is annoying!

To DoWrite a character sketch of your main character. Include the following in a one page summary: Your character’s name, what your character wants or needs, something unusual or interesting about your character’s personality, physical description of character, something from your character’s background that affects the decisions he/she will make throughout the story. If you want feedback on your lesson, click here.

Resources

• PERSONALITY PROFILES http://www.classervices.com/CS_Conferences_PTW_Resources.html This popular personality test is in each of the Personality books on personality but it is also available by itself. Updated Profiles, 6 - 8 1/2 x 11 panels: test, scoring sheet, strengths/weaknesses, word definitions on 2 sides, how to evaluate your scores. Marketplace Profiles, 6 - 8 1/2 x 11 panels: same as Updated, but the how-to-evaluate page applies to business and team building.$1.00 each, quantity discounts available; ask also about Spanish Profiles and Youth Profiles.
• Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
  Writers Digest Books, 1996

Blogging Boot Camp for Writers
An Interactive Learning Module
Copyright 2007. Vicki Caruana. All rights reserved.
By Vicki Caruana


“Do I need a blog?” – that’s the question…well, actually, what you’re really thinking is, “Do I really have to have a blog?” as if you’re asking your mother if you really have to eat your vegetables.

Those of us who have blogs will tell you “Yes,” and those in marketing circles will also tell you “Yes.”

“Isn’t a blog just an online journal or diary?”

No, it isn’t. They began as such but have evolved into something so much more powerful. We are at a point in our society that the information we have always relied on just isn’t enough. Those that provided the information (whether it was historians, researchers, statisticians, and proclaimed experts in their fields) no longer have the corner on the information market, and this is good news for writers.

You’ll hear more about the Web 2.0 I’m sure, but what we’re talking about here is the fact that we can all be a part of the conversation now. We can all add knowledge to the bubbling pot of information the web manages. Blogs help do just that.

Wikipedia is a prime example of every day people, like you and I, being able to add to the knowledge base. Here is their entry for “blog.” As an online encyclopedia, Wikipedia is contributor written, and people can add to or edit the existing content whenever necessary. If you see an error or an omission, you can make a change. Each and every one of us can sign up to be a Wikipedia editor. Even those historians, researchers, statisticians, and experts didn’t always get it right. Bias wrote our history books. The Web 2.0 makes it possible for us to set the record straight. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t problems with this idea or that people don’t take advantage of it, but there are always other people who catch it and call people on the carpet for misleading the public. It’s working. We should all be a part of the conversation so that we control what is said about us and what we believe.

Another characteristic of Web 2.0 is the desire and goal to make providing and accessing information free to all. There are many, many tools available for free if you look for them. Some of them are incredibly cool! I admit it is a reaction against the software developer moguls who make their products expensive and out of reach of the masses, but that’s not a bad thing.

Google is a great example of this. If you go Google’s site, you will see how many different tools they have available. Most of these were free services and tools they acquired from other companies. You can incorporate these tools into any blog. For example, Google Video allows you to search for or upload/download free video clips. They offer a calendar, a way to manage your contacts and databases, and much, much more. Spend some time at Google and find the tool that will make your blog more attractive and interactive.

“Collaborative creation of content (and subsequently knowledge) is conceptualized as Web 2.0 -- blogs, wikis, flickr, YouTube all being examples of social networking and collaboration. You can get what you need, say what you want to say, learn what you want to learn, manage your own environment and own your world through the tools and processes that are part of the web itself. Web 2.0 provides tools that make this process and engagement easier and, actually, quite compelling.”
Carol Thomas, Senior Media Consultant, Ruby Media Partners

Partnerships are what Web 2.0 are all about, and if you’re smart, that’s what a blog should be all about, too. The web is about community! As a Christian, that should make you smile, since we are all about community too. How can your blog foster “community”? Think long and hard about this before you begin.

Which leads us to designing a blog –

There are many different types of blogs out there, even within the publishing and/or Christian community. It’s important that you visit a few to get an idea of what you like and what you don’t. Here are some guidelines:

Have a Mission/Vision/Purpose Statement
If this is something you have never done, do it now. Everything you write should point to fulfilling that mission/vision/purpose. Here is mine:

Vicki Caruana educates and encourages kids and those who live and work with them to strive for excellence.
This is what I hope my visitors will take away from their experience with my blog (and everything else I do, write, or speak about).

Whether your mission/vision/purpose is stated or unstated, make sure your design reflects it. Mine is not explicitly stated on my blog; it underlies it. I do have a blog “purpose” stated, however. “Where parenting and education coincide and collide.”

Categories of blogs fall into categories: promotional/marketing (for self, ministry, or product), service (outreach oriented), informational (providing information on a particular topic), social commentary, entertainment, Shout Out! (electronic soap box). A combination of any of these also exists. Mine combines many of these. My challenge is do that in a way that makes sense and meets the needs of the visitor.

Make Sure Your Navigation is Simple
How do you want people to navigate your page/blog?
• Text driven?
• Symbols?
• Pictures?
• Combination?

Provide Relevant and High Interest Content
• Update regularly
• Focus on vision/mission/purpose
• Point to additional resources
• Provide relevant links
• Invite guest columnists/bloggers

Information Should Be FreeInformation is more and more accessible. If you limit your visitor’s access to your information by charging for it, you will not be attractive to them and you will not get repeat visits or
• Give away as much as possible.
• Downloads of articles you’ve written, workshops you’ve led, radio spots you’ve done, television shows you’ve been on, etc.
• Tips – advice comes in many shapes and sizes – “A Tip a Day/Week” – example from Terry Whalin’s writing/publishing blog
• Anything that connects your audience to your vision/mission/purpose


About You – Blogger.com offers a profile box for this purpose; include your contact information here as well

Enable Comments – allow visitors/readers to comment on your posts, however, moderate them.

Incorporate New Media – become familiar with podcasting, video casting, live chats, etc. and incorporate them into your blog. I’ve just started experimenting with my own online radio show.

Include Credits – always credit the pictures, photos, articles, or other resources you use in your blog to the appropriate people/organizations. Know your copyright lawin this respect and reference your sources appropriately. Always ask permission to reprint someone else’s material. Make it enticing to them by offering to shamelessly promote their product or website on your blog. It is YOUR responsibility legally to know what is for “fair use” or “public domain.” If you prefer to use something that is “stock,” then you need to be willing to pay for it.
• Istockphoto.com

Offer a Blogroll – you can easily list other blogs that either offer your visitors more information on your topic or are somehow otherwise connected to your vision/mission/purpose by using Bloglines.com. It will create a list for you and provide you with the HTML code to put on your blog so that the list shows up on your blog and when you update the list, it updates it for you automatically on your blog. Bloglines.com walks you through this process. Registration is necessary, but free.

Become a Part of the Larger Conversation – One way to do this is to visit other people’s blogs on a regular basis and leave a comment. This comment can be tracked back to your own blog. Often you will get visitors because you left a comment on someone else’s blog. Another way to do this is to continually widen your audience by making the topics of your posts relevant to more people. You’ll have to widen your focus – many of us are too narrow in our focus. However, this is only necessary if you think your vision/mission/purpose has anything to do with outreach or social commentary. If you want to make an impact, you’ll have to swim in waters you may even think are shark infested! For example, in my blog Standing Up for Your Child, I periodically post about controversial topics (abuse, the sanctity of human life, Hollywood, the HPV vaccine, etc.). When I do this, I am NOT doing it for shock value. I am doing it because it I am passionate about the topic and yet, it still fits within my vision/mission/purpose. Sometimes it invites comments contrary to my own views, and that’s fine. I allow those comments to be seen. It’s a part of the conversation and conversations are not one-sided.

Pay a Designer – You may be thinking, based on some of the blogs you’ve looked at, that you want to jump right in an pay a blog designer to make you look good out there on the web. This is fine, however, I encourage you to experiment on your own first for a while. It’s important for you to find out if blogging is really for you. Will you post regularly? Give yourself enough time to make sure you have enough content to really meet the needs of your audience on a regular basis. Become a part of the blogging universe and get to know what people are like who love to blog! If you don’t end up liking it, then there’s no real reason to spend money on a designer to create something you will not be faithful to. Blogger.com provides all the point and click tools to create wonderful looking blogs. And it doesn’t cost a thing. Try it there first (or at another free blog service).

If you do eventually decide you are ready to pay a designer, it may cost you anywhere from $35 - $100 per blog design. It is quite reasonable at this point because everyone and his mother is learning how to do this. Look at blogs you really like and there should be a credit for the designer that you can click on for contact information. I’ve used two different designers so far:

Bluebird Blogs– see their samples
Splat Designs


Set Up a Marketplace – as a writer, there’s a good chance that you still want to sell your books online if you have a blog. A blog is really no different than a website, and you can have a “store” on it. Personally, I don’t have the time or resources to maintain an actual online store. There are ways around this time consuming task. Amazon.com Associatesoffers you a way to “build a store” online. Another way is to use PayPalfor this purpose. I use amazon.com associates. Take a look at my store.

Capitalize on W.O.M. – Word of Mouth Marketing Association is key to an author’s success in sales. A blog helps you spread that word of mouth. It will be a great place for you to announce the release of your newest book, post your speaking schedule, and gain reader feedback. Angela Hunt does a great job on her blogwith W.O.M.

Examples of Blogs
A Life in Pages– Angela Hunt, novelist
The Writing Life– Terry Whalin, literary agent/writer/editor
Seek First His Kingdom– Rachelle Gardner/freelance editor
Your Writers’ Group– Mick Silva, editor, Waterbrook
Relevant Blog
Media Bistro
Word of Mouth Marketing Association
We CAN Promote Our Books!

Wylie- Merrick Literary Agency
Chip MacGregor’s Blog
Apples & Chalkdust
Standing Up for Your Child
Brain Food - example of a blog under construction


Getting Started
• Go to Blogger.comand sign up for your free blog – you will need a Google account to do that though. So if you don’t already have one, they will set that up for you as well.
• Think up a cool name for your blog – something catchy – it’s not unlike coming up with a title to a book
• Start small – you can always add more later
• Build little by little, but add content (post) regularly
• Keep all your photos that you want on your blog in one place like PhotoBucket for free
• Visit and comment on other blogs regularly – be seen and be supportive of the blogging community
• Include a stat counter on your blog to track visitors. You can add one free at statcounter.com. Here’s one of one of mine.
• If you see something you like on someone else’s blog, “steal” it – you can find out the “source code” of the element and then copy and paste it into your own template
• Know a little about HTML codeso you can add some interesting features along the way
• Think “outward” – outreach, service, etc. Navel-gazing gets old fast!
• Keep it focused on your vision/mission/purpose
• Enjoy your blog! If you don’t enjoy it, don’t do it.

Finding Support & Sustanence for Writers- mp3 file of the workshop at the 2006 Glorieta Christian Writers Conference. Part 2 Part 3

The Writer as Speaker

The non fiction writer is expected to have a "platform" - to know enough about their particular topic to be a subject matter expert (SME), and then be actively seeking and securing local, regional, national, and/or international speaking engagements.

Potential publishers expect this, so it's important to learn all you can about becoming what it is they expect.

There are a number of wonderful resources for beginning non fiction writers who exhibit an intellectual and practical curiosity about speaking. I like to point you towards free information whenever possible. The following organization offers great advice to the writer/speaker, and they do provide 5 free online lessons about becoming a speaker. Since these are professionals, they will also model for you a way to build your own database and promote your produce (books, recordings of your own speaking) within their lessons. You are not required to purchase anything, but watch how it's done - you may learn something!

Click here for 6 free online lessons about becoming a speaker from SpeakerNet News.

"What is a query?" you may query.

A query is a letter to an editor inquiring whether or not they are interested in an idea you have for an article, story, or book.

"How do you write a query?" you may then query.

There are entire books devoted to this very topic, but I'd like to offer you only a snippet of an answer and then something much more valuable.

Sample queries.

You know I'm all for giving away free whatever I can, and I know that some of my writing peers feel the same way. So I'd like to announce the opening of the Query Bank. Here you will find actual queries that led to a sale of an article in a Christian magazine or online publication. We accept both deposits and withdrawals!

Keep an eye on this spot as we grow this bank. In order for you or someone else to "deposit" a query into the bank, please send it to me electronically and I will post it for you. Until I find an automatic way to do this, we'll have to go through me.

Just like on your bank deposit slips, we'll need some information: the name of the magazine, the editor's name, when the article published, and the actual query itself.


My hope is to eventually open up a Book Proposal Bank as well. Once upon a time a writer gave me samples of her queries and proposals, so now it's my turn to do the same. Normally at writers conferences I offer sample proposals to anyone who asks. The query and proposal banks should make that more efficient.

Write well!