Writing Advice.

Rich · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 2:34 am Post subject: Writing Advice.

I am writing a novel and I've run into a problem. I'm hoping some of you published authors might be able to offer some insight.

I have a charecter that I'm having trouble "approaching'. Initially, he was to be the protagonist of the novel, but as the story unfolded he seems to be more of the "herald of the adventure" for another charecter that has risen to prominence.

Nevertheless, this one is important to the progression of the story. The problem I am having is that I find myself Isolating him. All the time.

In most cases, I don't have a problem writing dialogue, and it flows pretty freely with several of the charecters, but with this guy, it always seems forced.

He's usually stuck talking to only one other person in the story. I can't get inside his head. I've experimented with locking him in a prison, making him speak a different language, and other such things. The more I try to define him, the more he escapes my understanding.

I know this is all kind of vague, but I have a fever right now and I told myself this morning I'd be productive tonight and I just want to completely eradicate this guy from the story because He frustrates me so.

Any suggestions? Even anecdotes would be helpful at this point.

--Rich

11th_Son · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:57 pm Post subject:

Your too involved in the project. You need to take a break and come back to it. If you worry about it and keep on it then you are just gonna get "block" and then it will fall to pieces.

Its your story man. Its your art. You will feel better when youve overcome this problem on your own. Just dont force it.

Take a walk. That is a great muse for me usually.

Peace brother
_________________
`Begin at the beginning,' the King said gravely, `and go on till you come to the end: then stop.'

~L. Carroll~ (Alice in Wonderland)

Lola · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:09 pm Post subject:

Have a cup of tea and chill Icon_devilgrin

You're thinking about him too much and 11_th's right, you'll just get a block. Without knowing the storyline it's quite hard to give an opinion on this. I know another writer who got himself stuck at a point in his book too. He shall remain nameless (cough)

You could always do a 'Dallas' and make it all a dream, lol.

Sorry to be no help whatsoever. Icon_devilconfused

Horror_Writer · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:54 pm Post subject:

Kill him.

If that won't work, here are some other suggestions . . .

The rule for manipulating characters and for picking raspberries is the same: “If they resist, don’t insist.” As you move a character to do something, you may feel an inner resistance. Heed it. You have reached the point of ripeness in bringing a character to imagined life. He can now resist, nudge, subtly direct your hand. The material is speaking to you. [Copeland, Ann. The ABC's of Writing Fiction: 230]

Maybe you have the wrong character and you need to throw him out and pick someone else . . .

How do you find the right character? You scan the applicants until you locate one who turns you on and fits the part. One after another you sort through their possibilities hunting for one who turns you on—which is to say, fits your private quirks and standards—where the particular role you’re casting is concerned. [Swain, Dwight V. Creating Characters: How to Build Story People: 6]
_________________
I do not hide in shadow, for I am the shadow; thus to hide, I hide within myself.

Lady Eldorath · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:50 am Post subject:

I have to agree with the taking a break. Sometimes characters just need to flow on their own, they can't be forced. Some of my best character creations have occured when out doing mundane things and not thinking about them. I like to observe people, and that seems to help quite a bit. (I know overly simplified).

I had one character that went through so many transformations to get to his final form.
_________________
"Weaken a bad habit by avoiding everything that occasioned it or stimulated it, without concentrating upon it in your zeal to avoid it. Then divert your mind to some good habit and steadily cultivate it until it becomes a dependable part of you. " P. Yogananda

Horror_Writer · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:29 pm Post subject:

More advice . . .

Instead of concentrating, perhaps, too much on character, concentrate on story. Do you have the entire novel written? Are questions concerning this character blocking your ability to move forward? If not, I would try to push on through to the conclusion of the novel. Getting to the end may give you the insight on how to handle this character and what their role should be in the story.

The story comes first.

From Ann Copeland . . .

Until you have discovered what your subject actually is--as opposed to what you thought it was when you started out--until you've plumbed its depths and dimensions, you cannot choose where to begin, how to end, or how to best arrange the parts.
_________________
I do not hide in shadow, for I am the shadow; thus to hide, I hide within myself.

Rich · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:14 am Post subject:

Thank you all. I have the story roughly outlined. I've also written "batches" of the story, like puzzle pieces, writing until I block. Every once and a while I "cut and paste" the story into the outline, then flesh it out a little more.

Right now, I have the prologue and first chapter in final form (or, what will be "the first draft")

As I mentioned above, the charecter in question was originally intended to be the protagonist, but he's been superseded by another, who "turns me on" as Horror Writer put it. :D

In order to move forward with the story as outlined, however, she needs to extract information from this other charecter. Perhaps I can find a different route for the story to take.

Perhaps I should step back for a bit. Maybe play with my new oil paints...

Thank you all. :D

Rich · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:15 am Post subject:

One of my major fears about "stepping back" is that I am highly succeptible to procrastination and losing focus. I want to see this story through to completion.

I'll just have to chill out, like some have suggested, trust that I WILL come back to it.

Rich

Rich · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:19 am Post subject:

Rich · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:24 am Post subject:

To Lady Eldoreth:

With regard to procrastination:

"Weaken a bad habit by avoiding everything that occasioned it or stimulated it, without concentrating upon it in your zeal to avoid it. Then divert your mind to some good habit and steadily cultivate it until it becomes a dependable part of you. " P. Yogananda

Action cures inaction, but I also suffer from fear of inaction.

To Lola:
you are more helpful than you realize. I'll Chill.

Lady Eldorath · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:38 am Post subject:

Keep focus on your end product, like HW said, and you'll soon reveal a treasure. I have confidence in you lol. Laughing

_________________
"Weaken a bad habit by avoiding everything that occasioned it or stimulated it, without concentrating upon it in your zeal to avoid it. Then divert your mind to some good habit and steadily cultivate it until it becomes a dependable part of you. " P. Yogananda

Aum · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:44 am Post subject:

I think I know how you feel a little bit, Rich. I have a few people pressing me to write a book, that I know needs to be written, but...well....procrastination.
_________________
"If we're going to be damned, let's be damned for what we really are."-- Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise-D

Horror_Writer · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:05 am Post subject:

Having written four novels, I know that sometimes you just have to press on. If you have a handle on where you think the story is going, it's okay to skip parts--to go ahead to sections you feel comfortable with. Quite often, in writing these sections, the earlier parts you had trouble with will suddenly become clear. It's even okay to write the ending--if you know what it is or think it should be.
_________________
I do not hide in shadow, for I am the shadow; thus to hide, I hide within myself.

Alan · Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 2:06 am Post subject:

Right. Keep working on it. Get the first draft down and done and come back later to fix all the parts you couldn't get right or skipped altogether. It'll come.
_________________
www.alanbaxteronline.com