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Christine Rains is gracious enough to hijack Wistful Nebulae today, while I revision… Take it away, Christine!
I hear voices all the time. No, I’m not insane. I’m a writer. And I’m sure if you’re a writer, you do too. Sometimes it’s hard to discern one from another. There are those that push to the front and demand attention. Yet every now and then, there are characters that don’t speak at all and sulk in a corner when you fail to understand them.
It’s our job as writers to entice those quiet characters out and discover what they sound like. Not an easy task, especially if they’re particularly stubborn. Writing a series, I have to draw out six distinct characters to narrate my books. When they become difficult, it’s helpful to try a few exercises to discover their voices.
Write the characters happy, angry, sad, and afraid. Go through a range of emotions. How would they react? How do they cope? Are they overly dramatic or emotionally closed?
Write a scene in third and first person. It does make a difference. First person allows you to get more into the character’s head. Inner dialogue adds a lot of voice. Third person gives you more action. Sometimes actions speak louder than words.
Memories are key to how a character acts. Write five key memories. It doesn’t matter if they’re good or bad, but both kinds make up the sort of individuals we are.
Have your character tell a joke. I might get glared at by a few of my characters for that suggestion, but you can tell a lot about someone by the way they deliver a joke.
Sit down and have coffee with your characters. What is an average day like for them? What sort of topics do they focus on? Do they laugh often? And what do they have with their coffee?
Along with your character profiles, these exercises should help you with anyone being stubborn. If not, threaten to feed them to a monster in a pit that you just wrote into the story. Then they’ll talk. Don’t worry.
1302 – The Alpha by Christine Rains
Genre: paranormal romance
One run in the woods wouldn’t matter, or so thinks werewolf Stefanie Porter. Being cooped up in her apartment for months must have messed up her instincts, because her former pack almost catches her until a mysterious lone wolf jumps in to help Stefanie escape.
The cruel Alpha Wyatt not only stole her pack but refuses to give Stefanie her freedom. She can’t hide in her apartment any longer or it will drive her crazy. She puts her trust in the lone wolf who can teach her some of his unusual urban survival tricks. James Roberts might be a bit geeky, but he’s smart and looks hot when the argyle sweater comes off. His ridiculous ambition to become a superhero might be admirable if Wyatt couldn’t rip him limb from limb.
With the pack scouring the city for her, Stefanie must convince James to teach her and control her own Alpha nature, or fight not only for her life, but his as well.
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More About Christine Rains
Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood, but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she’s not writing or reading, she having adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She’s a member of S.C.I.F.I. The 13th Floor series is her first self-published series. She has three novellas and sixteen short stories published.
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This is an excellent post! I will definitely be trying out some of these exercises!
Great post… finding the characters’ voices isn’t always easy:)
An excellent post Christine, it can be tricky knowing how to develop particular characters. I’m definitely going to try out some of these tips.
Great ideas here to get to know your characters better. I will definitely bear this in mind!
Great suggestions! These exercises sound like a lot of fun in addition to being useful.
Can’t wait to read Alpha! :)
Might try the range of emotions. First person would feel weird though. I really don’t want to be in Byron’s head!
Can’t wait to read your latest, Christine.
Loving these tips! I definitely have characters who are too stubborn to speak sometimes, so I can imagine these helping a lot. I’m really intrigued by the joke suggestion. Already I can tell some of my characters love the idea while others hate it with every fiber of their fictional being! XD
I love these exercises, Christine! I hadn’t thought about some of them and will definitely use them to balance out my characters.
Thank you very much for hosting me today, Mary! :)
Tania, you know it too! You read my first drafts! *LOL*
Kyra, Nick, Laura, thank you! I hope they help you.
Julie, thanks! I hope you enjoy it. :)
Alex, first person is weird for me too. I almost always write in third person except a few short stories.
Such good tips. Those odd memories really work and you might never even discuss them in your book but they do help in understanding your character better.
Thank you for the takeover today, Christine, and a very informative post. I see Craze sitting beside me and griping lately. But I figure if he’s unhappy, I did my job.
Thanks for stopping in Kyra, Tania, Heather, Nick, Julie, Alex, Heather H., and Laura.
I find it helpful to write little bios/stories of my characters from right before my story opens. Then I fill in bits about their early life.
Hehe, that’s right, we can write in our own threats to get our characters to cooperate. Hmm, could be interesting to see how each one of them react to said threat…
I really like that one, too, Holly.
A very interesting exercise, Nicki.
‘Memories are key to how a character acts. Write five key memories. It doesn’t matter if they’re good or bad, but both kinds make up the sort of individuals we are.’
This is fantastic, Christine. Very perceptive. After reading this post, the thing that strikes me is that your characters are lucky to be your brainchildren.
Good luck to Christine with the promotion of her new book!
And I just signed up for the Back to the Future Blogfest. Sounds like a real fun one!
I think Christine is an amazing writer. I’m sure she’s gonna hit it big.
I love these character voice exercises! Excellent post Christine!
Another exercise I just did with some writing students – take your characters and plop them down in the middle of an American fast food restaurant – what do they do? say?
Anyway, as I said, I love the exercises you’ve given . . . hope you don’t mind if I jot them down and use them frequently.
I started writing my book in third person, but it felt too flat to me, which is why I switched to first. Suddenly, the voices came alive and I knew who they were. I love how close first person brings the reader to the characters’ emotions. Nothing quite like it!
Heather M., thank you! And thanks so much for hosting me too. The interview was a lot of fun.
Heather H., I have characters that hate that joke exercise too. The punch line sometimes ends up being a punch! *LOL*
Southpaw, thanks. I completely agree.
Nicki, writing the threats is just so entertaining too! BWUHAHAHA!
Suze, thank you. I hope they’re thankful and don’t hate me for putting them through hell!
Stephen and Michael, thank you!
Tyrean, go right ahead. I like your idea too!
Nancy, that’s cool! The POV can make all the difference.
Great post and done super ideas that I can’t wait to try! Thanks for sharing.
I sometimes imagine sitting down and having tea with my characters. Someone always ends up throwing a cup, though. They’re not a very civilized bunch. Great suggestions, and good luck with your newest story!
have coffee with your characters… are they sad, do they laugh often… = BRILLIANT! I love this idea. Thanks, Christine! *waves* to Mary~ <3
Thanks for stopping in Suze, Graeme, and Stephen.
I think she’s amazing, too, Michael.
Great exercise, Tyrean.
I think I did the opposite switch once, Nancy.
Some of mine are glowering at me right now, LG.
Such great advice! That’s why I like writing flash fiction pieces with characters in my longer works. It really helps with their voice. :)
wonderful suggestions! must try!
cant wait to see who’s in 1303!
Those are great tips. Since my WIP needs strong voices, I’m going to use some of them.
Graeme, thank you!
L.G., I have characters just like that, so I can sympathize. Though there is something exciting about having a tea party turn into a brawl!
Leigh, thanks! Watch that some don’t slip something in and make it Irish coffee!
Cherie, thank you. Flash fiction is another great example of an exercise too.
Tara, thanks! I think there will be a lot of drooling over who lives in 1303.
Damyanti, thank you! Good luck with your MS.
It’s so cold here, a cuppa something hot would be nice, Leigh.
I can’t wait either, Tara.
Great to see you, Damyanti.
Hi Mary – Christine has some great ideas for sorting out your characters … perhaps I’m glad I don’t write stories … there’s no need for me to talk to myself – though I can I understand why the character comes to life …
Zombie pit – no thanks …. cheers Hilary
Hilary, thank you for stopping by!
I am stealing the having my characters tell a joke. NEVER ONCE THOUGHT OF THAT!!!
I’ll have to try your idea, Cherie. It’s a very good one. Plus, it gives us something to put on our blogs, etc…
Hello, Hilary. I hear you on the zombies. None for me, thanks!
I’ve never thought of that one either, Libby. It’s a good one.
Great stuff to remember. I’m just glad I’m not the only crazy person, hearing voices and all. My characters speak to me and I just write down what they say.
Libby, good luck! Some characters will try to find any way to get out of that one.
Michael, that’s what I do too. I sometimes end up laughing out loud because I’m not expecting what comes out of their mouths.