Adding Character Driven Tension

Loved all of your comments and feedback on yesterday's post On Unlikeable Characters.

As I worked on my revisions yesterday which included getting chapter one 75% right (which sounds bad but is actually a major victory), I realized another benefit to having written my MC as unlikeable in draft one.

It allowed tension to flow through the entire chapter. And you all know how important it is to have tension in every scene--especially opening scenes.

See, my main character completely disagrees with a major decision her family just made. She hates the choice, she doubts it, she dislikes it. She is completely negative about it. And when I wrote draft one--this is all on the surface (and part of what made her so unlikeable).

But...as I revised and covered up most of her doubt and dislike (including deleting any lines where she outright stated her thoughts), I can still feel the underlying disagreement, just below the surface. It's not explicit or in your face. But it's there and it adds in tension as well as agency for my character (the only thing I like less than flat characters are the ones who are passive and lack agency).

She isn't just passively accepting the choice that's been made. She is actively partaking in it--trying to go along with things while dealing with her feelings and plotting how best to proceed when she disagrees so strongly. It sets her up right away to be a strong character and also allowed me to find a nice middle ground for her personality.

She isn't passive and just being taken along on her journey.

But, she isn't so negative about it that she's hard to read.

Huzzah!

So that's my latest about why I love starting with unlikeable characters. Not only will it help you understand the core of their being, but it also adds tension to everything they do. You know deep down inside there are so many more things going on then what's written on the surface.

What about you guys? How do you bring in tension for your characters?

On Unlikeable Characters

One of the tasks I have for my revision is to make my main character likeable.

And as I am doing this, I've realized something. I always make my main characters unlikeable in the first draft.

WHY?

Well, I think I have my reasons for doing this and I'm going to attempt to explain.

Here's the thing. I hate flat characters. As should you all! I dislike Mary Sues. I like following characters-- especially main characters--that have flaws, that are imperfect, that make mistakes and that have many layers.

And a first draft is basically just that----a layer--a first try at understanding your character. And typically, mine come with only one layer (at least I only truly express one layer on paper) before I go back and add in more.

I know what makes my characters good. I know the bravery they hold inside, their willingness to make sacrifices to do the right thing, their spark of life, the way they care and nurture the ones they love, their sense of humor, their goodness.

But I also know what's hidden deep inside. Their ugly bits. The parts of their personality they try to hide, their selfishness, their fears. The secrets they wouldn't share with another soul unless it was their absolute best friend in the whole world. I LOVE them for those bad parts. And I tend to lay all that ugliness and secretiveness on the paper. Because it exists and it has to be there to make them real.

And then when I revise...I start to cover them up. I add muscles of personality to their bare ugly bones, and give them skin and clothing to hide how afraid they truly are.

It's kind of a backwards technique. And luckily I have critique partners who are able to say, "you know your MC is really unlikeable" but still see where I'm going with the character and trust they'll be the one you love and root for once I revise.

But the thing is--you have to LOVE your characters. If you don't love them, don't love reading about them and writing them, how will anyone else love them? And how can you truly love them if you've only seen their good side? I figure, if I can love these guys when they're at their worst--AKA draft 1--then how much more will I love them when they're at their best.

All characters need to grow--I think especially in children's literature. I know this isn't always true in literary fiction and I find the stagnation hard to swallow. But for your characters to truly grow, they need to have room for it--they need to have some parts of themselves they have to conquer. Some way to learn more about themselves and to be better. It's tough (I think) to add those elements in. But starting with them makes it simple.

So there's one of my quirks. Drafting unlikeable characters while knowing they deserve to be liked, though they won't be for awhile.

What about you guys? How do your main characters look in the first draft?

Join The Baby Pool

In case any of you wonderful people don't also follow my critique group blog at the First Novels Club I thought I'd share with you what is probably the coolest contest we've ever had. 

My wonderful, beautiful and really disgustingly talented CP Sara is about to have her first baby. Which means my critique group is going to officially gain a 5th member. So we're having a giveaway--and winning is contingent on guessing things like the birth date, weight, eye color, gender. etc. We have a ton of prizes listed and we're going to keep adding more until the baby comes!

So go enter the giveaway and guess. Seriously. Not only can you win prizes (a lot of prizes) but this is pretty much as close as life gets to being Zach Morris in that one episode of Saved By The Bell when Slater kicks down doors wearing nothing but a towel. Because you know, there was an earthquake after gym class and the lockers fell over and he couldn't get to his clothes and then lost his jacket catching Mrs. Belding's baby...and then Screech won the baby pool.

I'm pretty sure Sara's baby won't be born into a varsity jacket. But I do know some lucky people will win a lot of books!

As for me, I'm back to the revision caves and hoping to accomplish some actual revising. I'm pretty much researched out and it's time to start messing with all of my words.

Notes From The Revision Journals

So I didn't revise a thing today. I KNOW!

I mean...there are reasons. Like...I have other jobs.

Also...one of my tires got a nail stuck in it. A NAIL! Seriously, tires, I thought we discussed this already.

So a good portion of my night was taken up by a trip to Pep Boys, followed by a rescue from my friend while they spent an hour and a half removing said nail.

However, I have decided that these mishaps are all a form of divine intervention. Because I seriously don't trust my brain right now.

Here follows a true conversation between me and my friend one minute into the Rescue Mission: Escape Pep Boys.

Friend: So I just bought a house!

Frankie: OMG! You bought a house! Congratulations!

Friend: Thank you.

Frankie: Are you going to live in it?

Friend: ...

Frankie: ...

Friend: ...

Frankie: ...

Friend: Yes, Frankie. I bought a house so I could live in it.

Because you know...sometimes people just buy houses....not to live in or anything.

And then...twenty minutes into Rescue Mission: Escape Pep Boys...

Frankie: What are your plans for July 4th?

Friend: Oh, I'll be out of the country then.

Frankie: WHAT! No! I thought we'd do our yearly tradition. You know, that we only did one time.

Because ladies and gentlemen, all I need is to do something once, and I will believe it has been done every year.

So yeah. My brain was not the smartest today.

But...tomorrow is another day!

I've Crawled Into My Revision Cave

Can I just say that my Revision Cave is a very happy place? Because it is. I know some people absolutely hate revision or don't even do it (WHAT?!?!!? WHY?!!!???), but for me, it's so much fun! This is where some of the best magic happens, and it's also the place where things start to look more pretty and less rough.

I know and understand my plot at this point so I can actually see what kind of pacing I need. And if you're anything like me, you don't fully understand or know your characters until you finish a first draft. Luckily, now I do!

Last Friday night I had a critique session with the First Novels Club and also received notes from my CP Jeri Smith-Ready that were super helpful. So I'm really excited to get this going and turn this book into the vision I had of it in my head before my roughened words hit the paper.

To give you a bit of an idea of how I'm tackling this, I'm starting in two places.

1) Research. My novel takes place in a location I've never traveled to before. I had a pretty decent idea of this place going in--thanks to the fact that I am a research-nut, but now is where the real work comes in and I add in the important details and do all of my fact checks. This extends beyond location research and includes medicine and culture. I've already filled several pages of a new revision notebook with research notes.

2) Character Arcs. Because I pantsed this novel, a lot of my characters surprised me. A lot. They didn't tell me all their secrets at first (they rarely ever do even when I outline), but now I know...or I at least know they were keeping A secret. So I can figure those out and actually flesh out their characters. So my first step will probably be to write out very detailed bios about each of my characters. The key for me to understanding a character is to know A) What they want most in the world, more than anything else they've ever wanted, and  B) what is keeping them from getting it.

So there you have it. I'll try to post more as it comes up and I have concrete things to discuss other than "I cut some paragraphs."

How's everyone else doing with their writing/revision/editing goals this week?

BEA Recap!

I'm back! And let me tell you, my entire body feels like it took a beating. Especially my poor feet. BEA is like going to war. Except a fun war. Where nobody dies (someone occasionally gets bitten) and everyone wins. And the prize...is BOOKS!

Also, I know I was at BEA for only three days but it all seriously feels like a month. And a month is a very long time to account for in a post. Also waaaay too many awesome things happened, and awesome people were seen.

So I'll show you pictures! And give you a taste of my experience.

DAY 1

Sara McClung and agent Diana Fox go over the floor plan and route we'll take once the doors open. This was seriously like planning for battle.

A ton of us waiting for BEA to start: (L-R) Lindsey Culli, Sara McClung, Cristin Terrill, Claire Legrand, Diana Fox, Donna Gambale, Rachael Stein, ME, Kelsey, Jessica BS 

Also you should note that Claire Legrand had little cockroach pins and barrettes to hand out as swag for her upcoming middle grade debut THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, and I have a serious dislike of all bugs and lizard type things and won't even touch toy versions of spiders. So I nearly had an anxiety attack when Rachael Stein attached a cockroach to my jacket. But I wore it like a big girl.

For 2 days.

And then I was done.

Moving on...

I forgot to take pictures most of the time I was on the floor. But I did slow down long enough to snap one of  Donna from the First Novels Club (my critique partner, writing wifey, and roommate that week) along with my fabulous agent-mate Tessa Gratton while we were in line for another agent-mate, Maggie Stiefvater's new book RAVEN BOYS which might be my favorite thing I got at BEA.

So after lugging our books back to our apartment, Donna and I got ready to go to dinner and the Teen Author Carnival. And when we left...let me just say that everything I've ever heard about cab drivers in NYC is false!

A) They NEVER know where anything is or how to get there. For example, my cab driver on Monday night who took me to my apartment from Pennstation drove past it and tried to take me to 23rd when I said 43rd and I was like DUDE--we're there. Stop! But no.

B) They will say no to you. For example, when Donna and I told 2 different drivers where we were going (which really wasnt' that far away) they said no and sped off.

C) They will complain to you. For example, the guy who finally picked us up for dinner heard the address we wanted and sighed, "Oh maaaaan." But then took us where we wanted to go.

D) They will ignore you. Which we discovered Wednesday when we trekked all the way from our apartment by Javits to Pennstation. With luggage.

Moving on....

Pizza dinner with bloggers  just before the Teen Author Carnival. (Gabby, Britney,  Bethany, Kelsey)

The other side of the table, ME, Donna, Lindsi, Farrah, and Liz. Claire  and Charlie also joined us but after I took pictures.

We got to meet up with our friend Jordan Turgeon and listen to the panels at the Teen Author Carnival.

Our fabulous friend Lenore Appelhans with the arc of her debut LEVEL 2.

We were all ridiculously well coordinated with stripes, belts and yellow. Me, Jackson Pearce, and Donna Gambale.

After the Teen Author Carnival we went out for drinks where I learned something very important. I am terrible at hangman when I'm going on only a little bit of sleep.

DAY 2 (I didn't take as many pictures, but here are a few)

Up bright and early for the Children's Breakfast which was AMAZING! We got to hear Walter Dean Myers, Chris Colfer (from GLEE), JOHN GREEN, Lois Lowry and Kadir Nelson speak. And they were ALL amazing. In this picture we have (L-R): Liz, Claire, Britney, Donna, Natalia and Me!

HELLO! That's me and Shit Girls Say. We both wore matching yellow belts. Also when he signed my swag, he said he loved my name. So fun!

With my buddy Julie Kagawa, hanging out at the Harlequin booth.

After all the signings, I headed over to Books of Wonder for a panel/signing with Holly Black, and the YA Rebels which was very fun, followed by a loong night at Kid Lit Drink Night (a traditional event for me at this point). And it was awesome! So awesome...I didn't take a single picture.

DAY 3

I totally fan-girled meeting Brent from Naughty Book Kitties.

Got to spend some more time with my agent Laura Rennert. And this was extra special because I finally got to meet Lara Perkins, her assistant who is amazing and funny and insightful (like Laura) and I can't even tell you how happy I am to know both of these women and to know they are on my side.

And after a few more signings, panels, hanging out with friends in line and lunch with Maggie from Not Your Mother's Book Club it was time to bust out of the Javits Center and head home.

But not before I took this picture with my other roommate and critique partner, Jeri Smith-Ready.

This happened.

Soooooo there you have it. My BEA 2012 experience (more or less...mostly less, A LOT of things happen in 3 days).

I had such a wonderful time this year and loved getting to see so many familiar faces and so many new ones. Hope you all enjoyed. And now I need to go bribe someone to rub my feet.

Because waiting in line hurts.

No, really.

FIN!

Just kidding! Here are links to some other posts of BEA recaps by friends of mine where I make an appearance.

Fabulous blogger and writer Rachel Simon who was very fun to meet.

And my awesome friend (and fellow book club host) K.M. Walton who I found over and over again at BEA. Here's her Day 1 Recap, and Day 2 Recap.

If You Need Me...I'm At BEA!

Have a great week you guys! If you're at BEA please come say hi! I'm really friendly and will probably hug you. And for everyone at home, I promise to take lots of pictures*.

*Well obviously. I mean...it's me!

:-)

The Post I Wasn't Sure I'd Write

I did it! I FINISHED! I actually typed The End. And then I went and taught a fitness conditioning dance class and came home and couldn't feel my arms thanks to all the typing mixed with the work out.

But I FINISHED!

So here's a final recap of this explosion of words.

I started writing this draft on Saturday, April 28, 2012.

I finished on May 31, 2012!

I wrote 65,000 words.

I went out of town 4 times during the course of this draft.

I changed the name of my MC 3 times!

I attended two weddings too.

I thought it was going to be really hard to finish and I'd be up all night, but actually it was pretty easy going and happened around 6:30PM.

This novel is unlike anything I've written before.

I had a few false starts and wrote a bunch of words that I threw out before I started this draft in April.

I had the idea for this novel almost a year ago. I never jump into shiny new ideas. I must allow the idea to sit in my head and grow for about a year before I usually feel ready to manifest it on paper.

I think this might be why I write so fast--there is A LOT of pre-thought involved.

There were also a few conversations with my agent about the plans before I wrote.

And now my draft is in the hands of The First Novels Club.

I'm going to BEA next week!

Wheee! So I'm taking a short writing break to gear up for revisions. And also start the next WIP.

How is everyone else doing with their writing goals?