ABOUT RUNNING AGAINST TRAFFIC
Paige Scott spent her childhood shuffled between relatives who ignored her, and her adult life hiding in her crumbling marriage to wealthy David Davenport. When David suddenly thrusts her into a remote, impoverished world, Paige is forced to face the betrayals of her past - not to mention the colorful townies of her present. Unexpected friendships and her discovery of running propel her on a jagged and comical journey toward learning how to truly live.
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How to Make Your Characters Believable
Your
characters are crucial to a good story. Yes, there must be a plot.
Things have to happen to these people. But in my opinion, if the
characters are not believable, the most riveting story will fall flat.
You
have to know your characters. What do they like to eat? If they had a
day entirely to themselves, alone, what would they choose to do? Do they
have secret dreams or desires that no one knows about? How do they
react in various situations? If you think about a close friend of yours,
think of all that you know of that person's idiosyncrasies. Carefully
consider your characters in the same way.
Consider
personal history. Where did they grow up? What was their family
situation? Do they have brothers and sisters? Were they nurtured or
neglected or something in-between? What turning points occurred in their
life? What were their relationships like with partners over the years?
If
I find myself struggling with the process of getting to know one of my
characters, and this has happened many times, I pretend we are meeting
for a drink, and I ask them questions. As the conversation in my head
progresses, I begin to sort out who this person is and what made them
who they are, what brought them to this point in their lives, what they
are going through in the present. I can be very nosy.
Once
your characters become real to you, your writing will portray them
honestly, and they will therefore be believable to your readers.
Finally,
pay attention to the details. For me, once I have truly gotten to know a
character the way I would know a close friend, I can hear them talk, I
see their body language, and I often think I know how they would react
in certain situations. Though, as I write, they sometimes surprise me,
and then we have to go back to the bar to discuss it. Why did they do
that? What made them say that? Don't let them try to change the subject. This may be their story but it's your book. Find out what's really going on.
ABOUT GAELEN VANDENBERGH
I am a writer, runner, reader, compulsive list-maker, mother and zookeeper (it feels like it, anyway). I grew up in Philadelphia, moved around a bit – Maine, Boston, NYC, back to Philly – and I have lived here for the past twelve years. I live with my husband and daughter, a fat cat, several fish, and a one-eyed dog. http://gaelenvandenbergh.com/home/
Splendid post, Gaelen. I've gotten to know my characters well enough by now that they've become like old friends.... even the villains.
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