and then there is no clue on how to go on; or what to do when you feel like you are stuck

[smirkingcat.livejournal.com]

this month there was a lot of info on how to write like digthewriter's 21 harsh, eye-opening rules or disapparater's clues to a great story and of course the very helpful tip also from digthewriter about how much trouble your character is in
today i'm also focusing on characters - because when you are stuck or you feel like the story feels wrong, it might be that you lost the sight of the character you are working with [of course it's not the only reason, there are many reasons (like having no clue on how to go on - fast suggestion would be: think about what your story wants to show and tell, what is the moral) why one is stuck, sorry i only know of this one technique to help you out there]



when not writing fanfiction- the thing i struggle the most is naming the characters
this article is about how to give a character a perfect name (and why that might not really be so important as i always make myself believe it is)
on the other hand the side behindthename.com/ my be able to tell you what the name you are using is telling about the character (if you want to use it) or may be able to help find common names of certain regions- i find it a most useful resource i use very often

what also may help, to not use sight of your character is to note important stuff down:


this may also help when you do fanfiction- but not on a so well developed character- note down how you think this character may be- so that you can go and check how your character would react in certain circumstances- BUT! be aware there is a growing of character through your story- so either note the important growths down (like each experience can change how the character perceives things and what may have been OOC in the beginning might totally work near the end)

here are some character traits described in a very pregnant and short way


here is a short flow chart form the net that may also be able to help you when you're stuck


and the technique i really wanted to show you, is one i learned from my teacher in middle school, and i still do it, when i am really stuck and beyond help
when i am stuck i feel like the story just doesn't flow, like the character makes it known to me, that he is dissatisfied with what i'm doing to them
so i go and interview them
you know the name, and the birthday and all the stuff you decided about the character- but my professor used to say: "don't forget that you only know this on the surface, you have no control about the mix it all shows in the character"
so sit down and get to know your character more-i was sadly not able to find the original notes she made us take in school- i searched my parental home for them, but sadly i couldnt locate them so i will work with an exsample translation of the last interview with a character i did

short info about the character so that you arn't completely lost: Fa is a dragon, who was by magic forced into a human body, but the magic only gave him the body of a man, not the knowledge on how to be a man, and still left him with the hunger of a dragon and the magic of a dragon, he can't use at the moment, because he is a man now

the scene when i got stuck was the first meeting of a child girl, that his companion brought along from a hunt, he was sitting at the bonfire, waiting for his companion, because his companion had promised him food (since he is always hungry)
i couldnt make the meeting work- so i sat down and interviewed fa:

me: "so, the bonfire is nice, do you like it here"
fa: "it's nice enough, but something is missing'
me: "but you dont like the girl?"
fa: "the girl seems to be an attention seeker, and her sudden appearance is very sudden"
me: "so you feel startled by her getting on stage?"
fa: "i feel i'm not told enough about her, and also in such a situation, where i am still hungry, i would act not really friendly. hunger always makes me edgy, as you should well know, since you wrote about it in the beginning"
me: "ah yes i remember, so writing that you interested would be wrong, because most likely, you would be rather pissed off?"
fa: "yes, but also i would worry, one more person, means one more mout to feed, and she is a child, we are wandering a dessert- she will drag us down, i am trying to hurry. i would be dissatisfied and i would demand a clarification away from the girl. i dont like changes because i am a dragon, and so i perceive time different, and i dont like surprises because the fluster me and make me unsure, and since i am still a teenage-dragon, i'm also stuborn and rebellious"
...

you see, you try to get to tell the character how he would react, like in a -if, what- scenario, also my interview showed me, that i did not get enough information about the girl, besides a young brat, which she was not intended as
sometimes, like when you work with a older character- and you lost the connections to the past- it also helps to get to know where the character comes from- like you start a character at 37- how did he grow up, what was his family like (it might not be important to the story, but it might help you to know how he would handle situations)

i know this is very rough- but i am very open for questions, if i may be able to help- because a character interview can be a very helpful tool
but sometimes as my prof would say: "a whole interview might be a lot of trouble for very little information you may get out of it" especially when you have no real question but a general problem with the character
in that case my prof made me do a "wanted poster" - but instead of describing your character from the outside, describe him from the inside- like if you would know a mind reader, and you would hire him as a bounty hunter, what has he to go and look for, what important memories, what foundations does the character have, the important part on this one is- dont focus only on the flaws or on the good side- there is a certain kind of mix your mind reader is searching for, make it easy for him to find that mix- so that you get your character!


i hope this technique will become handy to you one way our another!
i would very much like to discuss it - because some of my writer friends find it ridiculous and childish - and yes i learned it at a young age, but really it helped me through so many stories already, that i really find it very handy
best wishes
and go words!

also i did a small edit on my previous entry, because i was linked to more awesome word charts

Comments

[khalulu]

It sounds like an interesting idea!

Different things work for different people, and worrying about something being "ridiculous and childish" could curtail the imagination, so good for you for not minding what your friends said.

[smirkingcat.livejournal.com]

thank you!
and yes for me it really works well, because my character develop their own life - so essentially they write their own story and for me this helps me to get in touch with them- understanding what they want to tell how

[khalulu]

Anything that gets your characters to come alive for you is so valuable.