Straight from the Horse's Mouth - by Alexis Morgan

One of the hardest parts of embarking on a new series is getting to know the people who comprise the initial cast of characters. I’m talking about the folks who will play a major role in the story whether they appear in just one book or across several. It’s important that I get them right from the beginning because I’ll have to live with them for a long time. If I get it wrong, it can seriously impact my ability to tell their story.

I start off doing all the usual things. I make a list of possible names, testing them out to see if they not only feel right but also sound right. A name that fits a modern day warrior may be totally wrong for a U.S. Marshal in the 1880s. Personally, I like to use names that mean something appropriate for the character and doubly so when it comes to my heroes. In my Warriors of the Mist series, I chose Gideon as the name for their leader because the name means warrior. In an earlier series, I chose Devlin because it means fierce and valorous, both characteristics a leader needs to have. Even if my readers never know that about the names, I do. It was just one layer in building a believable hero.

It's also important to say the characters' names out loud to make sure that they don’t sound too much alike. They can look quite different in print, but still sound similar. For example, in the first book of Warriors of the Mist, I started off naming one knight Kane and another Cai. Those names are different enough in spelling to be easy for readers to keep them straight. However, when I started talking about the characters in a brainstorming session with a friend, I kept tripping over them because they sounded a little too much alike. I normally hate to change a name, but Cai became Averel because in the long run it made it easier to keep the characters straight.

Then there was the time I named my hero Cal and the heroine Lily. Again, on paper, those names are fine. It wasn’t until the book was actually out and I was giving a talk that I realized how they sound when said together. (Cal and Lilly=calla lily.)  Sheesh.

Once I’ve settled on names, I think about what style of clothing each character prefers. In the contemporary world, a guy who lives in flannel and denim is going to be a different personality than one who prefers Armani. A woman who only wears tailored styles is likely to act differently than one whose wardrobe is mainly sweats and t-shirts. Even in a fantasy world, there are differences in clothing. A wealthy man will wear richer fabrics. A warrior might wear leather and chainmail. A serf will wear homespun clothing in a simple style.

One of the best talks I’ve heard on choosing fashion for specific characters was given by the costume designer for the Lord of the Rings movies. It’s part of the extras in the extended boxed version. The woman talked at length about the thought processes behind the decisions they made for all the characters in the movies.  For example, she pointed out that because Frodo came from a wealthy family, his vest is made from velvet. Sam, who is a farmer, wears one that is not nearly as fancy. It’s all in the details. Although I might not have noticed all the specifics she pointed out on my own, I do know that those details all added to the richness of the film. 

When I was putting together the character descriptions for the five Warriors of the Mist, I used two techniques I hadn’t tried before. I knew each of them had an avatar, an animal that fights at their side over the centuries. Choosing the right one to fit the personality of each man took me hours. I chose a large raptor for Gideon, the leader. Duncan who is both a warrior and a scholar has a large owl. Murdoch, who is quiet and strong, has a reclusive feline companion. And Lord Kane, the man with the darkest past, has a gargoyle. They are both the last of their bloodlines.

But the avatars weren’t the only ones who taught me something about the warriors. In the world of Agathia, horses can select their own riders. I had a wonderful time figuring out what kind of horse would choose my warriors. Gideon bonded with the lead stallion. No surprise there. Murdoch, who towers over most men, was picked by a huge draft horse. A high stepping mare picked Sir Duncan, who is the most chivalrous of the warriors. Lord Kane, who is marked by the dark magic of his bloodline, bonded with a battle-scarred stallion that has never before accepted a rider on his back.

The modern day equivalent of those horses might be the kind of car or motorcycle that your character would choose. Does your heroine drive a pragmatic older sedan or does she zip around town in a red convertible?  Does your hero drive a heavy duty pickup truck or a sleek sports car?  Those details make a difference because they contribute to how your reader sees your characters.

And maybe the vehicle stands out in stark contrast to everything else in the character’s life. Maybe your heroine wears plain clothing and little makeup, but she does drive that red convertible. That anomaly makes her interesting to me. Why that one aberration and what does it mean?  It would sure signal to your readers that there’s something interesting going on in that woman’s head.

So as you plan your next story, think about the details that will reveal character to your readers. Try to come at it from a different angle than you have before and see where it takes you. After all, with my Warriors of the Mist, I really did get it straight from the horse’s mouth. 

BOOK BLURB for HER KNIGHT'S QUEST:

 

They are cursed by the gods, and war is their salvation. Love is their deliverance.

 For centuries, five legendary warriors have braved their battles shoulder to shoulder. But now, they must divide and conquer as lone champions against evil.

Duncan, a scholar at heart, is drawn to an isolated abbey rumored to hold the answers to countering the terror unleashed by Duke Keirthan. Inside the cloistered walls lies the hidden collection of forbidden lore on dark magic. But the real key to the salvation Duncan seeks—both for the people of Agathia and his soul--is the abbess herself, Lady Lavinia.  Hunted by the duke who seeks to harvest her powers, Lavinia knows Duncan wants to help her. But can she trust the tortured warrior with her secrets?

 In the end, it is only by joining forces that they can save not only those they are sworn to protect, but each other.

5 Elements That Take Your Story Idea from Notion to Novel

by Catherine Chant 

Where do you get your ideas from? That’s a question many writers, including myself, hear from readers quite often. Most of us respond that they come from all around us. A news story, a personal anecdote heard at the school bus stop, an incident witnessed at the mall. Ideas surround us all the time. Even when we sleep, our heads are filled with ideas. 

I think a more interesting question, that probably has a more specific answer (depending on the author) would be, how did your idea become a book? Because that’s the real question, isn’t it? What magic did you do that turned something like “Lone child survives air disaster” into a plot that kept that reader glued to the pages.  

In my March workshop, “Avoid the Rough: Turning Your Story Idea Into a Workable Plot,” we start off with this very topic. Every book starts as just an idea, but then several elements join together to make a solid plot and a story people want to read.

Five of those elements are, in no specific order because it doesn’t matter when you come up with them as you’re brainstorming, just that you do: 

1.      Characters

2.      A story goal

3.      An opposing force

4.      Conflict

5.      Stakes

Characters means interesting people the reader can root for. Kat Duncan teaches a wonderful online course called “Make Me Care.” That’s one of the most important things about developing characters. Make readers care about what happens to them. Otherwise, they’ll put the book down. 

A Story Goal means something you’re rooting for the characters (you care about) to achieve. It’s something external (like to solve a crime, find a missing person) as well as internal (some flaw inside the character that must be resolved). 

The Opposing Force is what keeps the characters from getting what they want. If they could get what they want right away, the story would be rather boring and over before it starts. In some books, this force is a person, a bad guy, the villain. In others it’s a situation or maybe an emotional roadblock. Some stories combine all three. 

Conflict is what happens when goal hits opposition. Not just for the story goal and the major opposition, but throughout the story as well, in every scene. Between characters, between the character and himself, between the character and his situation. Conflict is the struggle that ensues when the character goes after what he wants but can’t get it. 

Stakes are related to the conflict. Show what’s at risk for your character. A character shouldn’t do something for no good reason, or just because you, the writer, tell him to do it. He must want to do it and want to do it against great odds. Don’t let your character’s journey ever be too easy or your story may fall flat and the reader puts the book down. 

There are several other elements as well, such as an emotional hook and clear language, but you can probably see a pattern starting here. Readers are drawn to stories where a character they care about is put into a tough situation that requires resilience and smarts to make it through to a satisfying end. 

In the novel I’m working on now, a young adult mystery, the very first seed of an idea started with the image of a graveyard. In fact, I’d given the story the title “The Graveyard” for the longest time because that’s where it had originated. In the graveyard was the tombstone of a girl the same age as the main character. I was thinking “ghost story” at the time, and saw the character living in the dead girl’s house, envisioning a connection between the two. Maybe even communication. Then came the question, how did the girl die and who killed her? 

From there I went through brainstorming elements like those listed above until I had a clearer picture of my main character and what she wanted in life and why she couldn’t have it. The resulting story evolved quite a bit from the image of the graveyard into a full-blown murder mystery. Although the graveyard still plays a small role in the story and there is a subtle paranormal element to the story, it isn’t a direct ghost story anymore. The new tentative title is “Swings and Pendulums” (the blurb is on my website under Books-->Works in Progress) and it examines several universal themes such as family, friendship, and sibling rivalry that go way beyond the initial idea of a girl and a ghost. 

My young adult time travel romance, “Wishing You Were Here,” started from an 80’s song inspired by a dead musician I’d vaguely heard of. When I looked into it more, I discovered long-forgotten hit songs and a tragic story that made me wonder, “What if you could go back in time and give someone a second chance?” Not a very original idea, I’m sure many have wondered the same thing, but it was a catalyst that drove me to brainstorm those five elements above, and write a unique love story between a 21^st century music enthusiast and a 1950’s teen idol, filled with plenty of conflict, not the least of which is how a modern girl with strong ambitions and even stronger opinions deals with the chauvinistic music industry while trapped in 1957. 

Want to learn more about how to take your story idea and turn it into a workable plot? Join me March 4-22, 2013 at FF&P for my class “Avoid the Rough: Turning Your Story Idea into a Workable Plot” (with a broad strokes outline). Don’t let the word “outline” scare you.” If you like to the write by the seat of your pants, this class is for you too because a broad strokes outline doesn’t tie you down, just helps you brainstorm those key elements that your story idea needs to move from notion to novel. 

More About the Author:

Catherine Chant is a PRO member of the Romance Writers of America RWA) and a Golden Heart® finalist. Her first novel, WISHING YOU WERE HERE (Soul Mates #1), is a young adult time travel romance available in both print and electronic editions at Amazon.com. You can find out more about Catherine at:

 

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I hope you will join my class on

Avoid the Rough:

Turning Your Story Idea

Into a Workable Plot

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Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers

This 2 Week class starts March 4, 2013

For more information click HERE