How Clear are your Characters?

A Shady Character

How well do you get to know your characters before you start writing? For me, I usually get more of an idea of their situation rather than their personality. I honestly don't know much about my characters until I've finished the first draft. Then I can write them.

Oh, I've been through character workshops, tried exercises and filled out detailed character profiles, including suitable flaws. But once I start writing, all that changes and I end up will a fully formed person, that in almost no way reflects the original idea I had of them.

Secondary and background characters are even more elusive. I went through several edits of Dog Show Detective with a brooding and shy boy in the background, because I didn't know how to write him. Once I realised he was actually funny, then I found out he wasn't shy at all, but rather an extrovert.

I don't mind not knowing everything about my characters before the first draft is finished. Once their voice comes through, the rewrites are easy. I've just got to stop trying to think them so I can see them. How about you, do you need to know your characters well before writing them?

If you do, you can check out some posts I've written on how to create characters:

My Top 8 Posts on Characters

3 for Free - Ebooks for Writers

I've decided to add some routine to my blog by making Fridays '3 for Free'. Each Friday I'll blog about 3 free writing tools, books or content you can download - this week:

The Cambridge Introduction to Creative Writing - Download from Scribd, this book has guides and exercises to try.

70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes (Part A)
70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes (Part B) - This book is so awesome, it comes in two parts. Available from Reader's Digest.

Power Queries - DKV Writing provide a free ebook on writing your query. Many writers (including myself) find this to be the scariest part.

I have so much reading to do!

Save the Ending

A while back I posted about meeting author James Phelan and purchasing some of his thrillers and his new YA novel. Phelan was talking to writers about the craft of writing thrillers, and, within his talk he revealed the ending to his YA novel, Chasers (part of a trilogy called Alone).

Don't worry, I won't ruin the ending for you. It was particularly frustrating, because the twist at the end is GOOD, really good. Emily has read the novel and absolutely loves it, it has become her new favourite and is being encouraged to all her friends. I've now started reading the novel and I am loving it, but must admit, knowing how it ends makes me look at some of the characters differently.

I also read Agatha Christie and through blogs, uncovered the murderer behind The Murder of Roger Akroyd before getting a chance to read it. Another great twist I won't get to enjoy through the experience of reading.  Have you had an ending spoilt for you? Maybe while you were reading a novel? Can you still push on and read it?

Book Economy

This is what comes home when I go shopping for shoes.

Popped into a bookstore today with the intention of checking the number of pages on a girl's novel similar to Dog Show Detective. Didn't even make it to the children's section before my arms were weighed down with these finds. I couldn't help it - there was a sale, and shiny stickers and, and... Hopefully did my bit this week for the book store industry (see, owning a Kindle does not mean I buy less books).

There's a few pirate stories in there, that's to help me along when I start editing The Pirate Girl (soon, soon), and I just love thrillers, plus Emily spotted a couple of supernatural stories.... I need a year on a desert island with nothing but my books.

Books without Borders

If a shop like this can't sell books, who can?

I rarely watch the news, but it was hard to avoid this week. Two big chain bookstores here in Australia are in deep financial trouble. Borders have been facing financial problems for some time and have now taken Angus & Robertson down with them. One of the excuses for this demise has been to blame e-book popularity.

Kind of hard to believe. Since buying my Kindle I've consumed more books than ever before. Not just e-books, I've bought more paper books and a huge number of audiobooks. Book buying is addictive, the more you get, the more you want. I've also shopped in Borders several times and always find it crowded.

Perhaps e-books are starting to have an effect on booksales, but I think it has more to do with the ease of buying books much cheaper overseas. I often buy from Amazon because I can get a lot of new novels under $10 whereas in an Australian bookstore I might have to pay $20-$30. 

There has been a theory that the closing of chain stores will help smaller bookstores flourish. Unfortunately, our little local bookstore 'Little Dog' is also closing down. What do you think the problem is? Are e-books taking over and bookstores need to adjust, or is there a slack in book interest?

If you want more on this news here are some links:

The Book Show - also available on iTunes, you can download the radio show.

Sydney Morning Herald - Borders, Angus & Robertson go bust. Includes video.

Canberra Times - Discusses Borders' announcement that gift cards purchased will not be accepted unless the user spends at least twice as much as the voucher.

Perfect Practice for Writers

In Emily's last Taekwondo class, her teacher said:

"Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect."



This may sound a little harsh, but I think the message is, you can practice doing something the wrong way over and over, but you'll only become perfect at doing it the wrong way. This hit a chord with me. There are some parts of writing that I am not good at. I get a good voice for my characters, but I don't tend to do dialogue scenes well, there's either talking heads or lots of fidgeting going on. Instead of persevering, I need to learn to write dialogue scenes perfectly. This means, taking advice from experienced writers, reading up from the numerous untouched-writing manuals I have on my book shelf, or, maybe even taking on another writing course. I want to try perfect practice.

On the flip-side, I'd like a character that practices something the wrong way and becomes an expert in doing it the wrong way - which will turn out to be the way that is needed to save the day.

Is there anything you need to perfect to practice?

Creating the Writer's Website

I have final, final edits to do on Dog Show Detective (and I really thought I was done, sigh), so... I decided this was a great time to get around to creating my website (I should call it charmaineclancy@procrastination.com).

A while back I ordered a text book:

Being too impatient to try exercises in importing and transferring, I decided to jump straight in with making my website. I found a website that has step by step instructions on creating a simple web page using Dreamweaver CS4. I figure I will make it fancier when I master the first steps. The site I am using (and so far, so good) is:

The Site Wizard

What I've realised is that it would be a good idea to plan what you want on your website, before you create it. As I'm a budding writer and yet to publish, I'd like my site to be a little personal and a place to share my works-in-progress. The first bit I need to write? 'About Me'. A friend of mine was writing a short blurb about herself for a magazine she writes for and commented that it's very hard to write about yourself. She was right. This is my first draft, but I expect it to change radically before my site goes up:

Charmaine writes for children and young adults in the genres of mystery and fantasy. She loves all things Agatha Christie and is often watching those around her with suspicious eyes, on the off chance they ever do commit a cleverly mastered crime.

When not searching for hidden clues, Charmaine teaches topics such as English, Spanish and Media Studies at a small, friendly high-school in her home town. She lives in a country cottage with her patient husband, creative children, naughty dogs, adored cat, productive chickens and a confused bunny. Students, family, friends and pets provide endless inspiration for Charmaine's stories. They also act as a great test audience, in fact, BooBoo the bunny pointed out several flaws in her last manuscript.

How would you describe yourself? Really - I WANT to know!

If you are in the process of learning how to make a website, but don't like manuals or reading instructions, I also found this simple and helpful video clip:

 And I love Gabrielle Wang's website, do you have a favourite author site?

Kindle, Let Me Count the Ways...

Google, getting in the mood for Valentine's Day

Today seems an appropriate day to count the ways we love... our Kindle! Why do I LOVE my Kindle?

1. I LOVE the instant reward of purchasing and downloading books from the Amazon website.
2. I LOVE the sharp but subtle colours of the screen, no glaring backlight like Mr iPad.
3. I LOVE creating categories for my Kindle books, and of course, Mysteries and Writing Resources cary the most books in my library.
4. I LOVE that we can now share books (even if it is only once) with our bestest Kindle friends.
5. I LOVE trying the first chapter for free, to see if the book is one I want to read.
6. I LOVE randomly downloading 99c books, without any high expectations.
7. I LOVE being able to see my writing/blogging friends finally get their novels finished and available on Kindle and I can buy them straight away!
8. I LOVE that my daughter is turned on by Kindle too, and reads twice as many books now.
9. I LOVE the great price of Kindle books, compared to paperbacks in Australia.
10. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the service Amazon offer if my Kindle gets sick. Emily's sadly developed a strange line through the screen (my scientist-husband waffled something about magnetic fields, screen burnout, blah, blah), we emailed Amazon, got a call straight back and a brand new Kindle is being sent out to us right now.

Oh, and Tim, I love you too.

The Perfect Critique Reader

Matilda reading Dog Show Detective on her iPad

There's a lot of advice online on how to find a critique partner. Here are the best tips I found.

1. Know what you want from your critique - do you want advice on how to fix the plot problems or do you just want to know if the story is paced well?  Pick the sort of person to suite the job, are they literary or just great spellers?
2. How much effort do you want to make? Are you happy to swap manuscripts and have another writer critique your work while you critique theirs? If you think you just don't have the time for that, then you might want to find a keen reader who is happy to critique your work for a free read, or pay a professional to critique your work. You can check out sites like Novel Doctor, The Manuscript Appraisal Company, or,
3. Jessica Andersen in a guest post on The Knight Agency suggests you find a writer with strengths that differ from yours. I'm not strong on dialogue, so I'd  look for someone who writes great dialogue to pick up on my weak spots.
4. You can find a critique partner at your local writer's group, or by joining your state writer's organisation and checking their website for notices. Or you could even advertise for a critique partner online through your blog, facebook or twitter.
5. Put up a notice at your local library looking for readers of your genre, that's were readers gather!
6. Writing childrens books? Then let kids critique your work. My middle grade novel is being read by my kids and their friends who are submitting notes on the experience. Matilda, my youngest, is one of my most astute readers, she has no problem at all telling me when the story gets slow.

Emily reading my book on her Kindle

6 Great Tips for Generating Ideas for Your Novel

After seeing I had over 80 books I've listened to in my audiobook list, I decided I would revisit some. Being in a learning mood, I chose Dwight Swain, after all, the cover claims he is a 'Master' writing teacher!

The audiobook covers the process of creating a novel, and I found Mr Swain had some good points on ideas. Here are Dwight Swain's (Master Writing Teacher) advice on ideas:

1. If students came to Mr Swain with the complaint that they just didn't have any ideas, he would take a screwdriver from his drawer, go over to the door, remove the doorknob and hand it to the pained writer. Then he would tell them they could not leave the room until they have come up with ten ways to murder someone with the doorknob. By the time they leave, they have the ability to come up with new ideas.
2. Get yourself a long list of bad ideas, because sooner or later a good one will surface.
3. When you find one you like, write as many plot points that you could use for this idea, don't worry if some are just silly.
4. Ask yourself, will this idea have enough angles to carry a novel length book?
5. Choose an idea that really hooks you, not just one you think people would buy. Keeping momentum for a whole novel is hard enough, so, you better have an idea that turns you on.
6. Keep in mind, a story is the record of how somebody deals with danger. Danger is anything that threatens happiness, and, happiness is not the same thing for everyone.

So, I've got to come up with seven more ways to murder someone with a doorknob (and one of mine might only maim).

My Audiobooks

Read to me...

I read paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle books, but I also like audiobooks. They're great for when you're driving, exercising or just too tired to let your eyes focus, and, who doesn't like to be read to? When I checked my book list in iTunes, I got a bit of a shock - I didn't realise I had so many! There are fiction and non-fiction books for kids and adults. Here's a peek at my audio-library (I've added links if I've posted about these books before):

Fiction:
ABC Murders - Agatha Christie
All Together Dead, Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery - Charlaine Harris
And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie
A Bone To Pick, An Aurora Teagarden Mystery - Charlaine Harris
City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
Cloud Street - Tim Winton
Crooked House - Agatha Christie
Dead and Gone, Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery - Charlaine Harris
Dead as a Doornail, Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery - Charlaine Harris
Dead in the Family, Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery - Charlaine Harris
Dead Man's Folly - Agatha Christie
Dead Over Heels, An Aurora Teagarden Mystery - Charlaine Harris
Definitely Dead, Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery - Charlaine Harris
Devil May Care - Sebastian Faulks
Dragon Keeper: The Rain Wild Chronicles - Robin Hobb
Endless Night - Agatha Christie
Fashionably Undead - Meg Cabot
Flyte: Septimus Heap Book 2 - Angie Sage
From Dead to Worse, Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery - Charlaine Harris
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson
The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
The Host - Stephanie Meyer
Insatiable - Meg Cabot
The Julius House, An Aurora Teagarden Mystery - Charlaine Harris
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis
Magyk: Septimus Heap Book 1 - Angie Sage
The Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith
The Pale Horse - Agatha Christie
Partners in Crime - Agatha Christie
Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth - Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian - Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief - Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan
Point Black: Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz
Real Murders, An Aurora Teagarden Mystery - Charlaine Harris
Shakespeare's Landlord, Lily Bard Mystery - Charlaine Harris
The Sign of Four: A Sherlock Holmes Novel - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Skeleton Key: Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz
Skippyjon Jones in the Dog-House - Judy Schachner
Stormbreaker: Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz
A Study in Scarlet: A Sherlock Holmes Novel - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Thief Lord - Cornelia Funke
Three Bedrooms, One Corpse, An Aurora Teagarden Mystery - Charlaine Harris
A Touch of Dead, Sookie Stackhouse Short Stories - Charlaine Harris
Trick of the Dark - Val McDermid
The Wire in The Blood - Val McDermid

Non-Fiction:
Deep Sleep Every Night - Glenn Harrold

Dwight Swain: Master Writing Teacher - Dwight Swain

The Elements of Style: 60 Minutes to Better Writing and Grammar - William Strunk, Jr

Engaged Writing: Hypnosis for Writers - Maggie Dubris

The Hero's 2 Journeys - Michael Hauge & Christopher Vogler

Inspired Novel: Creative Hypnosis for Novelists - Maggie Dubris

The Natural-Borne Writer - Robin Moore

On Writing, Volume 1 - James Magnuson & Roberta Gellis

Positive Attitude, Positive Life: Hypnosis to Cultivate a Positive Outlook - Maggie Staiger

The Road of Creativity: Hypnosis for a Lifetime of Creative Inspiration - Maggie Dubris

Screenwriting for Hollywood - Michael Hauge
Spanish for Dummies - Jessica Langemeier

Stein on Writing - Sol Stein
Story: Substance, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting - Robert McKee

To The Best of Our Knowledge: David Foster Wallace - Jim Fleming

To The Best of Our Knowledge: Genre Writing and Beyond! - Jim Fleming

To Write is to Know - Gabriele Rico
Using Myth to Power Your Story - Christopher Vogler

Who's Story is it? Writing from a Clear Point of View - Madeline DiMaggio

Word by Word - Anne Lamott

Writers Speak - Terry Gross

Writing Down the Bones - Natalie Golberg

Writing Exciting, Seminars 1-6 - Bill Baldwin et al

Writing from Premise - Sandra Scofield 

This list has been over the last 18months. I think the number of books I've read would be a lot less, so, it's also a great way to get through books quickly!

Everyone's A Suspect

You all look suspicious!

I've been praising the humble notebook as a writer's most important tool when you're on the go. Mine has had quite a work-out. In 7 Tips to a Writer's Year I told you I won't be allowed to start any new writing projects until I have my current manuscripts edited. Now I am allowed to write a little in my notebook each day, things like ideas, dialogues I overhear or writing exercises.

Real life has in it's own beautifully arty way, managed to provide me with plenty of new material. I'm a mystery lover and enjoy the challenge of working out an intricate mystery plot. Now I have been exposed to a real mystery.

Summer holidays has ended and our high schoolers were due to come back on Monday. But. On Saturday morning there was a fire at our school and our Canteen and toilet blocks were burnt down. This is disappointing and a little sad (especially if it turns out to be a teen from our small community), however it also provided some insight into the characters I work with. Our  teachers have pulled together and managed to get all our new year 7s introduced to high school life, with the aid of a local church as premises (we can not use the actual school site until it is deemed safe for the students).

The kids have had loads of activities, including swim school, English and Music quizzes and I even got to 'perform' a Spanish class for about 90 students at once. It might have seemed like a problem, but turned out to be a bonus. The kids got very hyped and enthused, possibly because of the size of their crowd and the new kids have had a chance to bond with teachers in a friendly environment.

I had my notebook handy and was constantly scribbling any updates about the fire and the investigation's findings (according to most thriller movies, doesn't that make me a suspect?). Dismissing teens-up-to-misadventure, I came to find several teachers wanted the canteen torn down years ago because of asbestos. Hmmm. And what if (my pet phrase) the motive wasn't to burn down the canteen, but to hide a more sinister crime, or, if the culprit needed the school to be empty on a particular day because they found a map for buried treasure on the site, or there would be an international spy meeting and they didn't want anyone to recognise 006 AKA Elvis Presley. But, what if it was actually a travelling arsonist just passing through Yass with a shady past?

Motive can turn up anywhere.

So, you see why I can view this as a blessing disguised as a slight disaster. We will have temporary facilities put in place until our amenities can be replaced, it's been a bonding experience, and, there are schools in Queensland that were so badly flooded that I imagine they won't be opening for a while. It just depends how you look at it. Our Deputy Principal had a great saying at our last meeting:

Happiness is a decision you make in advance.