crafting-unforgettable-characters

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what your characters are planning to do. Theyonly care when they actually do it.“If your novelseems to bedragging, one ofthe first placesto look is at theheart of yourlead character.Is he giving uptoo easily? Hasshe been takingit too long? Arethere too manyscenes where he’sthinking and notdoing?”—James Scott BellThis is so for a couple of reasons. Reason #1is easily the most obvious, since it doesn’t takea trigonometry professor to figure out thatwatching soldiers fighting in a battle is farmore interesting than watching the politicianssit around in a boardroom discussing thebattle. Action is always more attentiongrabbing than inaction. This isn’t to say thatscenes in the boardroom or periods ofinaction are unacceptable—only that theyneed to be recognized for what they are andappropriately rationed.The second reason is probably even moreimportant. When we show our characters inaction, we move beyond simply telling ourreaders who these people are (“Joe was a niceguy”), to the much more powerful plane ofexhibiting the characters’ actions and allowingreaders to draw their own conclusions (“Joeemptied his wallet into the hand of the beggaron the corner”).Readers find it affirming when what they’vebeen told about a character is proven by thatcharacter’s actions. When we give our hero theopportunity to exhibit his bravery (or hiscowardice), his empathy (or his selfishness),his brilliance (or his stupidity), we are doingmore than just imparting the facts. We’rebringing this character to life on the page.We’re making him a living, breathingpersonality, who acts and reacts in a palpableway, just the same as the rest of us.18
Seek out opportunities to let your characterdefine himself by his actions. Don’t let himstand around for pages, doing little more thantalking or thinking. Shove him into themayhem of life and force him to get his handsdirty. Create situations and scenes that willprove his strengths and his weaknesses,instead of forcing the reader to simply takeyour word for it. If you do, you’ll emerge witha character—and a story—that’s vibrant,visible, and memorable.19
Page 2 and 3: Table of ContentsIntroduction: Char
Page 4 and 5: described as “personal magnetism.
Page 6 and 7: “You can never knowenough about y
Page 8 and 9: Enemies:Dating, marriage:Children:R
Page 10 and 11: Vehicles:What large possessions doe
Page 12 and 13: “First, place aninstance of selft
Page 14 and 15: Writing PromptIntroduce your charac
Page 16 and 17: the opening scene to exemplify a pa
Page 20 and 21: Naming CharactersCreativity Exercis
Page 22 and 23: size and shape—readers can easily
Page 24 and 25: But it’s always worth the headach
Page 26 and 27: DescribingCharactersFiction once be
Page 28 and 29: character’s hair color, eye color
Page 30 and 31: “Your goal isn’tfor the readert
Page 32 and 33: Writing PromptForce your character
Page 34 and 35: high society; the mismatched and co
Page 36 and 37: over the reader’s affections than
Page 38 and 39: The All-ImportantLink Between Theme
Page 40 and 41: theme? It’s been my observation t
Page 42 and 43: Story without theme is like ice cre
Page 44 and 45: dime a dozen. In fact, characters w
Page 46 and 47: “I have alwaysbeen moreinterested
Page 48 and 49: 5. Alan Breck Stewart in Kidnapped
Page 50 and 51: About the AuthorK.M. Weiland, autho
Page 52: The sins of a bishop.The vengeance

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