One of a writer’s most important tasks is creating believable characterizations. We spend time developing backstories, diagraming family trees, and thinking about personality traits, all playing a part in the people we create on the page. Once we’ve gotten to know our characters, their voices become clear and we can undertake their stories.
One of the techniques I like to do at every stage of writing a book is to spend some time shopping with one of my characters. Yes, that’s right, I shop. Online, in a store, or even when I’m ordering from a menu, I’ll often decide what one of my fictional companions would prefer. Is he vegetarian, does she like biographies or military history books? What we eat, read, and wear all indicate key traits about ourselves and how we perceive the world. The same holds true for characters.
This technique is also useful when I am stuck in a narrative and don’t have a clear idea of what my characters are feeling. It’s incredibly helpful to return to their POV for a while. See the world how they see it, get in touch with their needs and preferences, will all help make the characters I write more authentic.
Creating these shopping lists also helps me keep unnecessary detail out of a story, and saves an editor’s time down the road. Readers don’t need me to tell them what someone’s favorite color is, or how they like their coffee, unless it’s an integral part of the plot, but for me to know all of it can help me select the best details to include. I know what sort of dinnerware a particular character prefers, what scents they like, and foods that both attract and repel them. These bite sized facts make a character real.
In my current WIP, one of my characters visits Earth on a mission to learn more about us. It was difficult to narrow down what sort of experiences would give him the most insight into American culture, and still be interesting to the reader. So I took a step back, and wondered, where would I take an alien so he could encounter what everyday people do? The best answer I could come up with was visiting a busy diner. Which begged the question, what would a man who’s never had such fare order? And that made me realize he’s probably never had meat before, but rather created protein products. So I was able to write a thoroughly enjoyable scene in which he tries bacon for the first time. I only hope my writing did justice to the incredible moment where he first tasted crispy, smoky fried pork!
Can he find her before he’s banished to the cold of space?
Banished from his planet, Rako wanders the edges of known space looking for salvage, longing to find his mate. When he spots a weak signal from an ancient crash, he isn’t sure if the scavenge is worth the time and fuel. Opening up a smuggler’s hold on board, he finds a stasis pod with a beautiful woman inside and loses his heart.
Alyce was kidnapped by villains over a century ago, so when she’s awakened by a formidable male of a race she’s never seen before, it takes some adjustment.
Doing the right thing, Rako takes Alyce to a habited station, where she can begin to rebuild her interrupted life. But when descendants of the beings who originally captured her attack, Rako’s protective instincts emerge, along with the extreme body morphing of his kind. He wins the fight, but misplaces Alyce in the process. Will he be able to find her before he’s exiled back into the cold of space?
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J. J. Lore Bio:
J. J. Lore has been interested in the dashing men who roam outer space since she was transfixed by Han Solo piloting the Millennium Falcon a long time ago in a theatre far, far away. Sadly, there is no way for her to join in the fun of intergalactic adventures unless she writes them, so that’s what she does whenever she isn’t taking care of the business of life. If you can’t find her typing madly on her sluggish keyboard, she’s probably poking around in a thrift store searching for the perfect pair of worn jeans or a vintage kachina bolo tie. These days she puts her anthropology degree to work when she whips up dishes from many different cultures, most of which benefit from a liberal dose of sriracha or a smear of green curry paste. Her favorite reading topics are costume history, epidemiology, and permaculture, all of which she’d like to work into a story if she’s suddenly overcome with a brilliant idea someday.
Twitter: @JJLore1
Website: www.jjlore.com
4 comments:
I love this idea about shopping with the characters. Good luck with your book.
What an interesting way to develop a character! I enjoyed your post, very much and wish you all the best:)
I've never heard about shopping with a character. I can see how much it would help! All the best with your release!
You have fantastic ideas to solve some of the writing problems..Congratulations on your originality. Great post!
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