Character Dossier Lies

January 23, 2015 / Lisa / Leave a comment

When speaking to fellow writers, I’ve always said I don’t use character dossiers. I used to, with the first couple novels (that are still hidden in boxes). I’d carefully fill out every question and then never go back and look at it again. Once I got into actual writing, the characters answered all those questions for me and the answers were usually far different from what I’d initially imagined.

No dog dossier needed for this character (in our hotel room)

I recently finished the first pass through editing book three. In doing so I realized that I needed a detailed timeline, list of characters in the series, a list of places, etc. It’s okay not to have one for the first book, maybe it’s okay for the second, but for continuity, it’s needed by the third. It was time to get serious. So with this revision process I started jotting down notes.

I made a page for each character and when reading the story, any time I came across a character description, I jotted it down. I’m now doing the same thing for the first two books. And it dawned on me (I’m a bit slow, I admit) that I’m creating a character dossier after the fact.

Why does it work to have one when the story is written and done, but not at the beginning when you don’t know the character at all? I have no idea. I think it ties into my style of writing, that I don’t outline either. Once the story is done though, I need the dossier in order to not forget who this person is that I just spent so much time with. Especially for the minor characters who might decide to step forward in a later book for a more major part. I’ll be able to go back to my post-dossier and find out what color eyes they have.

So the dossier works for me at the end of a story as a reminder in case I need it in the future.

All this time of declaring adamantly that I don’t use character dossiers, I’ve been lying. Well, okay, deceiving myself is probably more appropriate.

Oh, and the line above about not outlining? Another self-deception. Because by creating a timeline after the story is done, I’ve just…made an outline! Dang it. I’m going to have to change my whole speech the next time I talk to an audience of writers.

Another character following me at the beach this Christmas. Helping me look for agates I believe.

Can A Book Be Trash?

January 13, 2015May 24, 2015 / Lisa / 9 Comments

I admit to being on Facebook instead of editing yesterday. While there I saw one of those photos people post with funny sayings. It talked about Twilight, 50 Shades of Grey, and War and Peace. I can’t remember what the funny statement was, but two comments really struck me. One person said that listing War and Peace with the other two was just wrong as the other two were a waste of time. The other person said if a book resonates with a person, there’s a reason for that and that should be enough.

I agree, as I’m sure the majority of you do, with the second comment. While I haven’t read Twilight and probably won’t as it seems too romance/mushy, I have friends who love those books. Who am I to say they are wrong simply because tastes differ?

Yes, a book may not meet certain literary standards, or may be weak in the craft of writing, but we’re all learning as we go. Does that mean the book is no good? It might be no good to me, but not to you. So who’s right and who’s wrong?

I have read books I didn’t like. Books where the quality of writing made me cringe. I remember one that was almost 1,000 pages, and halfway through I still didn’t know what the protagonist’s name was. I remember one where the solution to the whole plot revolved around a series of very unbelievable coincidences. I thought those were terrible books. But the first one won awards. Obviously there were people out there who liked those books as they were on the shelves.

Book store shelves by the way, not thrift store shelves where I found one of mine recently…

Speaking of thrift stores, I believe books are in the same category – what’s trash for one is treasure for another.

Anticipating the End

December 24, 2014 / Lisa / 5 Comments

I love the tingly sense that the end of a story is near. You can see it out there on the horizon, so close, but not ready to be touched just yet. You know it’s creeping in, but you can’t look at it directly or it will dissipate like fog, gone forever.

And since it’s Christmas Eve I’ll use that analogy – it’s like being a little kid again, sitting near the tree with its lights and decorations, grasping that nutcracker and thinking, tonight the magic will happen and he will turn into a prince.

Hands hovering, fingers near the keyboard, or lightly holding the pen, breath almost held, knowing the words are almost here, almost free.

Of course the downside of that anticipation is the fact that soon, the gifts will all be open. The end of the story will be written and all that’s left to anticipate is the long slog of revising and the business end of getting the book out there.

But for right now, the story is still just mine, still magical, still unknown.

And oh so close.