Write Track Newsletter
July 2002
Carol Kluz: Editor
http://www.carolkluz.homestead.com


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FATTEN...DON'T FLATTEN YOUR CHARACTERS
by Carol Kluz

Don't get blanked out when it comes to building believable characters. The trick is to make them real. Here are a few tips.

Character catalogues are methods that can be used for writers who have difficulty forming unique characters for their stories and novels. One way is to cut pictures out of magazines and catalogues that show people of all ages and walks of life. Put a list by each one which includes all of the necessary elements. I have set up a couple of examples below, minus the pictures.

(Picture: older woman about early sixties.)
1. Name: Marietta Morris
2. Physical description: Slightly plump, hazel eyes framed by dark, un-plucked eyebrows, short-cropped white hair, pleasant smile, laugh lines, wears bifocals.
3. Quirks: fiddles with rings on her fingers when bored. Sucks in lower lip when thinking. Always saves leftovers and insists on doggie bags at restaurants. Laughs openly when happy and clams up when angry, keeps an immaculate house. Hates confrontations, but can react if pushed.
4. Hobbies: Enjoys working in her flower gardens, playing cards with her women's group, and cooking.
5. Marital status: Widowed for three years. Has several male friends, but no relationships. Both men are secretly wishing to win her over.
6. Pets: Has a pug named Chester and a cat named Hanah.
7. Financial status: Neither wealthy nor poor, but has enough money from husband's life insurance that she doesn't need to work.
8. Children: One daughter, Dianne, (adopted) now living in South America with her anthropologist husband. No grandchildren.
9. Politics: Registered Republican, but will vote either way.
10. Religious beliefs: Roman Catholic, attends mass regularly every Sunday.
11. Pet peeves: crooked hanging pictures, lights left on in empty rooms, clutter, self-pity and people who don't neuter their pets.

You can also add some history talking about how she and her husband met and highlights of their life.

( Picture: young man late teens or early twenties)
1. Name: Johnny Washburn
2. Physical description: Medium height and well muscled, thick curly black hair, handsome features spoiled by perpetual pout of mouth.
3. Quirks: runs fingers through his hair especially when a pretty young woman walks by, pops his knuckles, picks his teeth with a pen knife, pokes fun at the elderly, kicks dogs.
4. Hobbies: Driving in the amateur stock car races, female conquests, picking fights.
5. Relationships: Had a few but they never lasted do to his controlling manner.
6. Financial status: Money supplied by his indulgent parentshas never had to work.
7. Religious beliefs: None
8. Goals: Dreams of becoming a professional stock car driver or owning race horses.
9. Personality: Abrasive, self-centered and conceited, hates people of color and anyone who is poor.

These are just a few samples of how to flesh-out characters and give them emotions where they act and react in their own unique ways. If you are working on fantasy or historical novels, you can change some of the elements to fit those situations. You can add the type of clothing they wear, weapons they carry and what they do.

Another method writers can use is to observe people. If you park outside a busy grocery store or mall, you can watch people. Certain ones will stand out maybe their walk, or their size, or their hair, or their beauty, or their lack of it. Study people. After all, this is what characters are. Even if your characters are inhuman aliens, they will need some people traits to be believable to the readers.

Good characters move the plot along. Good or bad, readers can relate to them. Flat characters spell disaster. Bring your characters to life by giving them unique personalities and interesting dialogue. Don't forget dialogue. No two people speak exactly the same.

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Featured Author: William Alan Rieser

http://rieserbooks.homestead.com/rieserbooks.html
Author Interview

1.You’re steadily gaining recognition for your science fiction series. Could you please name the titles of your published books and give us a little insight into your work-in-progress. When do you expect it to be released?

Mr. Rieser: The Kaska Trilogy, consisting of Gam, Pmat and Kesht is pure SF, like Luna Parabella. The Chronicles of Zusalem, a series with The Find and Pathandu, are fantasy-adventure, inspired by mythology. Furnace, recently released, is my first horror-fantasy dealing with HSC. My latest novel is Panacea, another fantasy, though I did attempt to appeal to more mainstream readers. It should be out no later than September of ’02. All of my titles, thus far, are published via Writer’s Club Press, at iUniverse. I am currently working on three additional novels, a humorous collection of baseball stories for kids, a rather serious commentary on current religious-politico issues and another SF series.

2.When did you first become interested in the science fiction and fantasy genres? Who influenced you to choose those particular categories?

Mr. Rieser: My interest piqued upon reading Ray Bradbury, Poul Anderson and John Tolkien. I was already impressed with James Michener, Issac Asimov and Frank Herbert and thoroughly convinced I could write absorbing tales like H.G.Wells, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Jules Verne and some modern writers like Ursula Le Guin and Clifford Simak. They were my inspirations to write in SF/F/H, also Poe and Lovecraft.

3.You’ve chosen POD publishing. Did you ever attempt to get noticed by one of the traditional publishers? Are you satisfied with your publisher?

Mr. Rieser: I tried the traditional path many times, always followed by a rejection slip. When my novels began to be returned unread after a year of frantic pacing, with the original seals intact, I knew they would never give me the slightest chance. I also tried the agent route but met few who weren’t complete frauds. When I finally did connect with a true talent scout, I was told that my chosen genres had flooded the market, that there were few prospects for me. There was no point in arguing that the public always requires good authors of all genres when the best of agents could not look beyond the dollar sign. Writers Club Press provided the answer for me with POD, though I haven’t solved the marketing catch-22 very well yet.

4.What specifically have you done to market your work and get the word out?

Mr. Rieser: The key for me was name recognition from a penniless condition. How does one do that? First, I established a website which I have tried to improve every single day for nearly a year now. Next, I started to submit short stories to whatever zines would have me, succeeded at a number of continuing sites with multiple acceptances, both paid and unpaid, won a few contests and in general, started to get my name around. I then invaded several message boards and started talking my head off, making contacts all over the world. Eventually, I started exchanging links with other authors and websites. Then, to further things along, I broke into article writing, doing both literary and humorous essays for various zines such as wordthunder.com, oneofus.co.uk, sffworld.com, scifantastic.tripod.com and lately The Writers Association where I assist aspirants. It is located at:
http://communities.msn.com/TheWritersAssociation

5.Do you have any tips for other authors trying to market their books?

Mr. Rieser: Even though the costs of POD are marginal, I have yet to realize what for me was a huge investment, though my royalty checks are steadily increasing. If one has some money, it must be easier to obtain publicity, but I have no resources other than those mentioned above. I am, in fact, more limited than most, being confined to a wheelchair, unable to get out to places like bookstores and libraries. That is something I would like to take advantage of and highly recommend it.

6.Your work shows a remarkable talent. Do you have any advice for new aspiring writers?

Mr. Rieser: Believe in yourself, learn to kill your darlings, remove all ego from your tales so that they can speak out for themselves without reminding readers of your troubles and appeal realistically to that need for fiction that everyone has. If ever the world needed imagination and clever insight, it is now in these turbulent times.

7.You’re a prolific writer with nine published books. Which one is your absolute favorite…and why?

Mr. Rieser: The Kaska Trilogy is my masterpiece, notwithstanding its being my first work. I will never exceed its artistry, depth, focus, potency and imagination. At the time, I was under the impression that my continuance would soon end. Therefore, I made a major effort to express myself creatively. In this work, there is but a solitary human being. I have long been opposed to little green men and the modern trend to depict aliens as a variety of earth species. In the Trilogy, I succeed in crafting societies and creatures never before contemplated by anyone. I am not about to apologize for the lack of such vision in others, but I do think the concepts in this series of novels is revolutionary and extremely stimulating. Those who have read it, agree.

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The power of punctuation

Quoted from Games Magazine (1984)

Dear John I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy - will you let me be yours? Gloria

Dear John I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be? Yours,Gloria

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Links

Writers Resource Directory: http://www.carolkluz.homestead.com/index1

StoryStart short story contest: http://www.storystart.homestead.com

http://www.Randomhouse.com/delrey/workshop

http://www.Bookzone.com

http://writerswrite.com

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Please contact editor for requests for specific writer tips, to submit poems, articles, or to be considered as a featured author. Contact Editor at Kluzwriter@aol.com