Hey everyone!
1. I love writing!
2. I love reading!
3. I have gradually grown to, er, enjoy editing!
4. I love reading my friends' books!
5. I enjoy editing my friends' books, too!
Therefore, if you are interested in an editor, check out my new page about my Editing Services. :)
-- Klara C.
Thursday, 23 August 2012
Sunday, 1 July 2012
Character Study: Personality
What about your character's personality? For me, it's hard to imagine a personality different than my own. It's hard for me to imagine someone who is unemotional, extremely introverted and self-focused. But for someone who is shy, it might be hard for them to write about an extroverted, one-hundred-miles-an-hour talker, someone who is the life of the party.
I've heard it said that the main characters will reflect at least some of the author's personality. I agree, although I think if one spends a lot of time with a main character, the author might begin to act like the character! :)
Occasionally you might decide to write about someone of the opposite gender than yourself. This can be challenging but interesting.
I think it's helpful to know your character's personality type because it will help you figure out what kind of choice they might make when faced with a certain decision. Their choice might be different from yours.
One way to help you think of other personalities is to think about your friends. Although my friends and I have much in common, we also have different personality traits. One of my friends is very intellectual and smart, she likes to talk about important issues but isn't really "into" hugs and feelings. Another friend comes in the room and people gravitate towards her, and everyone knows who she is. She's fun and sweet and make sure everyone is included.
God made us all with different personalities, so there's no reason your characters should have various personalities too. I think it's helpful to make sure you have multiple personalities presented in your book, because that's realistically the way it is in our world. Plus, many reader will be able to pick out a character that reminds them of themselves!
One thing I really love to do, I actually enjoy it, is to take personality quizzes pretending I am the character. You might want to take the quiz first for yourself, and then take it for one of the characters you know the best. The Big 5 Personality Test can be a huge help although I noticed that many of the tests are used for scientific research, so I would recommend not using those for your characters! Similar Minds has a good test, check out either the Short Test, Big 30 Test or the Big 45 Test for an in-depth look at your characters.
You can also check out some personality books, I'm reading one from a Christian perspective at the moment called Understanding Your Child's Personality by Dr. David Stoop. Yes I know, your characters are not your children...but it's still quite helpful!
What's YOUR character's personality?
-- Klara C.
Monday, 11 June 2012
The Unliked Words
A lot of times, it's can be quite challenging to find some good ol' criticism.
People are terrified of offending each other, so they refuse to offer any advice at all. If you share your story with someone, usually, the response will be...
So, you thank them, and prompt them to say more.
You may be able to eek a small criticism out of someone - they might point out a minor grammar mistake or a spelling error, but honestly, when everyone responds to you with a, "It's good" or "I really liked it", you begin wondering if your book really is good. You begin wondering if these opinions are honest, or simply shallow words instead of real criticism.
Of course, if you ever do find that one person who tears your manuscript apart and tells you that you will never be a writer... that might not be particularly helpful either.
So, let's flip the situation around. Your friend asks if you'll read a portion of their story. You say you will, and they send it to you. How do you respond? Surely you, as a fellow writer, will not respond with the hated words, "It's good!" So what do you say?
How do give good advice / criticism
I used to have a Writing Group. We would hang out, eat snacks, read a chapter of our stories, and then comment on each other's stories. I had a format that went something like this:
I think I got the idea from somewhere else, but I can't quite remember where, so please forgive me.
At my writing group, I would often take notes while the author read her story out loud. I would make notes about grammar, I would write down if something confused me, and make comments about what I liked. When my friends send me their stories, I generally try to respond in a positive manner. Their stories are usually well-written (I have never received a horrendous story from anyone) and I can find many things to compliment.
My advice might end up sounding something like...
"Hey, that was really good! [Yes, I begin with the hated words, so immersed are they in society that I can't help but use them] I really liked how you described so-and-so. You used very vivid adjectives and I can see him perfectly in my mind. I also love how you left us on a cliffhanger, I can't wait to find out what's going to happen to him next week! One thing though, I got a little confused on the scene where he falls off the cliff and climbs his way back up... maybe you could make that scene a little longer and describe it in more detail. Anyway, good job!"
Okay, so I don't think I've actually ever read a friend's story where someone falls off a cliff, but that's beside the point. :)
Obviously there are many ways to critique a novel; another method I use is to send the story back to the author, with my comments in bold. A lot of editors do this, and when I asked people to edit my books, they would do this as well. This also works well if the story is being sent over the email.
If I have a hard copy of the story, I make notes in the margins or on the paper, then return it. I actually do this when editing my own stories - I will write notes to myself on the hard copy and then make the changes to the computer.
Conclusion
So the next time someone asks you to look at their story, you could ask them if they would like to receive advice. Then perhaps you could try out the 2 nice things, 1 bad thing (that's what we ended up calling it at our Writing Group :)). But about that "1 bad thing" - it's really not so bad, is it? I'm actually quite appreciative when I receive a critiquing comment. :)
So, if any of you would like to send me your stories, I would be happy to read them...and critique them!
Klara C.
People are terrified of offending each other, so they refuse to offer any advice at all. If you share your story with someone, usually, the response will be...
"It's good!"
So, you thank them, and prompt them to say more.
"Well, I don't know..." *shrug*
"...but I really liked it."
You may be able to eek a small criticism out of someone - they might point out a minor grammar mistake or a spelling error, but honestly, when everyone responds to you with a, "It's good" or "I really liked it", you begin wondering if your book really is good. You begin wondering if these opinions are honest, or simply shallow words instead of real criticism.
Of course, if you ever do find that one person who tears your manuscript apart and tells you that you will never be a writer... that might not be particularly helpful either.
So, let's flip the situation around. Your friend asks if you'll read a portion of their story. You say you will, and they send it to you. How do you respond? Surely you, as a fellow writer, will not respond with the hated words, "It's good!" So what do you say?
How do give good advice / criticism
I used to have a Writing Group. We would hang out, eat snacks, read a chapter of our stories, and then comment on each other's stories. I had a format that went something like this:
two compliments
one criticism
I think I got the idea from somewhere else, but I can't quite remember where, so please forgive me.
At my writing group, I would often take notes while the author read her story out loud. I would make notes about grammar, I would write down if something confused me, and make comments about what I liked. When my friends send me their stories, I generally try to respond in a positive manner. Their stories are usually well-written (I have never received a horrendous story from anyone) and I can find many things to compliment.
My advice might end up sounding something like...
"Hey, that was really good! [Yes, I begin with the hated words, so immersed are they in society that I can't help but use them] I really liked how you described so-and-so. You used very vivid adjectives and I can see him perfectly in my mind. I also love how you left us on a cliffhanger, I can't wait to find out what's going to happen to him next week! One thing though, I got a little confused on the scene where he falls off the cliff and climbs his way back up... maybe you could make that scene a little longer and describe it in more detail. Anyway, good job!"
Okay, so I don't think I've actually ever read a friend's story where someone falls off a cliff, but that's beside the point. :)
Obviously there are many ways to critique a novel; another method I use is to send the story back to the author, with my comments in bold. A lot of editors do this, and when I asked people to edit my books, they would do this as well. This also works well if the story is being sent over the email.
If I have a hard copy of the story, I make notes in the margins or on the paper, then return it. I actually do this when editing my own stories - I will write notes to myself on the hard copy and then make the changes to the computer.
Conclusion
So the next time someone asks you to look at their story, you could ask them if they would like to receive advice. Then perhaps you could try out the 2 nice things, 1 bad thing (that's what we ended up calling it at our Writing Group :)). But about that "1 bad thing" - it's really not so bad, is it? I'm actually quite appreciative when I receive a critiquing comment. :)
So, if any of you would like to send me your stories, I would be happy to read them...and critique them!
Klara C.
Saturday, 2 June 2012
What'shisface?
In Fine Detail
If someone asked you to describe your main character - or any character really - how well would you be able to accomplish this? There are, of course, the major details - hair and eye color, height, weight, etc. But what if you go deeper? What about the shape of their nose (if your character does not have a bulbous nose then you may not have thought much about this), the length of their fingers, or the complexion of their face?
I used to worry that my readers would not imagine my characters the same way I did, so I would try to describe them in a very detailed manner. I realized however that my readers will probably imagine my characters' exact minor features however they want. No matter how hard I try, transferring my exact image from my brain to theirs is near to impossible...but, that's okay.
What does he look like again?
There are pros to NOT describing your character in minute narratives - your reader will be able to imagine her / him the way they want. For example, if you want them to think that a character is extremely beautiful, they might put in their mind their version of an extremely beautiful person, which would be stronger and more meaningful to them than your version of the word. "Beauty" is relative and it's a word whose meaning varies from person to person.
You yourself
Although our outside appearances are only the covering for our real selves, our inner thoughts, desires and dreams, it still might be important to really know what your character looks like. I think it's important that an author knows every detail about their main character, even though the outward shell called appearance might end up being the least of their worries. (Characters can be huge problems sometimes... sometimes they just aren't working out. In that case, appearance is generally not the issue).
When it is important
Becoming skilled in describing people might be helpful in your fiction writing, or even nonfiction writing - say, if you were going to write about George Washington's appearance, you'd better get it right, because people can access photos of him on the internet!
Assignment: A little practice
Next time you watch a movie, pick out a couple characters you would like to describe. If your main character is a brunette with short, straight hair, next time you see one on a movie, pause the movie (or find a picture online) and try and describe her. Or, just pick anyone - a guy with a funny beard, a handsome gentleman, a little girl, an elderly person, a young woman, etc.
How to use your description
If you're introducing a character in a book, the reader may or may not be interested in a lengthy paragraph concerning them. If the character is a side character or it is an inopportune moment to spend in depiction, you can try and intertwine their physical appearance in with the action. For example, you could describe the way their ____ (color) eyes dart around the room in fear, or how they sweep a piece of ____ hair from their face in a moment of battle (cliche! Cliche alert!). Do they stand on their tiptoes when in the presence of tall people, because they are short? Are they self-conscious of a physical fault on their face, or a wart on their hand? These things can be revealed as the story continues on, adding quirks to the characters that might make them seem endearing.
Occasionally, a long description is acceptable, especially when the book is narrated in the first person. When you see someone, you take in most of their physical characteristics in a couple seconds. If the first person narrator has just met someone, she will most likely look them over - and in doing so, will describe him / her to the reader. But in general, you shouldn't make them too long, or your reader will fall asleep and start drooling on your novel. (And you're shouting, "TMI!" at me now, aren't you?)
Conclusion
So, the next time someone says, "Hey, what about that character...uhhh...what'shisface?" you can surprise them by offering a long description of your character... just kidding!
Klara C.
Assignment: A little practice
Next time you watch a movie, pick out a couple characters you would like to describe. If your main character is a brunette with short, straight hair, next time you see one on a movie, pause the movie (or find a picture online) and try and describe her. Or, just pick anyone - a guy with a funny beard, a handsome gentleman, a little girl, an elderly person, a young woman, etc.
How to use your description
If you're introducing a character in a book, the reader may or may not be interested in a lengthy paragraph concerning them. If the character is a side character or it is an inopportune moment to spend in depiction, you can try and intertwine their physical appearance in with the action. For example, you could describe the way their ____ (color) eyes dart around the room in fear, or how they sweep a piece of ____ hair from their face in a moment of battle (cliche! Cliche alert!). Do they stand on their tiptoes when in the presence of tall people, because they are short? Are they self-conscious of a physical fault on their face, or a wart on their hand? These things can be revealed as the story continues on, adding quirks to the characters that might make them seem endearing.
Occasionally, a long description is acceptable, especially when the book is narrated in the first person. When you see someone, you take in most of their physical characteristics in a couple seconds. If the first person narrator has just met someone, she will most likely look them over - and in doing so, will describe him / her to the reader. But in general, you shouldn't make them too long, or your reader will fall asleep and start drooling on your novel. (And you're shouting, "TMI!" at me now, aren't you?)
Conclusion
So, the next time someone says, "Hey, what about that character...uhhh...what'shisface?" you can surprise them by offering a long description of your character... just kidding!
Klara C.
Monday, 21 May 2012
Character Study: Personality
If you could think of one word to describe your main character (or any character you want to "study"...) what would that word be? "Brave"? "Funny"? "Modest"? "Serious"? "Virtuous"?
I adore describing my characters. As I briefly discussed in "Characters or Besties"?, these people (or animals, or elves, or whatever) that you spend so much time with become your friends. How much do you know about your best friend? You know his / her physical characteristics and likes / dislikes. You know their personality, (probably) worldview, and maybe even what flavor of ice cream they would order.
A really good Character Profile Worksheet can be found here. It's fun to fill out and will probably make you think about your aspects of your character you may not have considered before. The questions that I had trouble answering were the ones about shape face and embarrassment! :)
-- Klara C.
I adore describing my characters. As I briefly discussed in "Characters or Besties"?, these people (or animals, or elves, or whatever) that you spend so much time with become your friends. How much do you know about your best friend? You know his / her physical characteristics and likes / dislikes. You know their personality, (probably) worldview, and maybe even what flavor of ice cream they would order.
A really good Character Profile Worksheet can be found here. It's fun to fill out and will probably make you think about your aspects of your character you may not have considered before. The questions that I had trouble answering were the ones about shape face and embarrassment! :)
-- Klara C.
Friday, 11 May 2012
"Who knew he could be so deep?" & Banter
Today I was actually spending a profitable hour editing my book, when I randomly had the idea to browse etsy.com. This is always a dangerous pastime for me, because although I've never bought anything off etsy, I find many things I would like to buy, and it only gives me either 1) craft ideas, which consume my thoughts and then, when I try them, fail 2) the seed of discontentment... very dangerous little plant. So, I shouldn't really have been on etsy, but I discovered a quote about fairytales. I adore fairytales, so I Googled more fairytale quotes.
I found this beautiful quote - "Every man's life is a fairy tale, written by God's fingers." Isn't that just awesome? It's something I've believed for a long time, but to hear it voiced by such a wonderful and renowned author is pretty amazing! Who is this wonderful and renowned author? Let's have a guessing game!
Notes & Quotes
Who said...
The quote written above ^
"To travel is to live."
"Where words fail, music speaks."
"Enjoy life. There is plenty of time to be dead."
"Everything you look at can become a fairy tale and you can get a story from everything you touch."
(Highlight for answer)
Hans Christian Andersen!
For some reason I was surprised to find such deep quotes, especially those about music, coming from the author of fairy tales. And yet, Hans has always been deep. "The Ugly Duckling"? "The Steadfast Tin Soldier"? (Although I don't like that one...it upsets me) I would almost say it was a comforting reminder to me that even when writing children's stories or fairy tales, one can still be deep. One can still write a message. In fact, some of the best messages or allegories are in fairy tales or children's stories. Aslan at the Stone Table? Cinderella's humbleness and kindness in response to her sister's cruelty? And from Cinderella, we can also learn just how much the perfect shoes can change one's life (author unknown).
The classic Grimm and Perault fairytales can be just plain weird. Or creepy. When I watched the Disney princess movies as a little kid, I had nightmares afterwards. If I'm a wife and mom someday, I'm not sure how soon I'll be introducing my children to the princess fairy tales (I'll probably read them some of Hans Christian Andersen though!). But that's okay, because these stories are for big kids, and adults too. As C.S. Lewis said, "Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again."
Going back to Hans Christian Andersen again, I really need to finish reading his fairy tales. Also, there's a really amazing movie called My Life as a Fairytale that's all about Hans Christian Andersen. It entwines his fairytales with his life. It's 3 hours long (why are some of the best movies so long?) but it's a beautiful, fun movie for all ages, although it's kinda an unexpected tearjerker (but I warned you, so you can expect it!). It's on Netflix, I believe, as well. Although I'm not sure how factual the movie is, I'm trying to read Hans' biography, so I can let you know!
On a side note, I think Hans' quotes about God are pretty cool. Some of his quotes have just been stuck on my Door of Epicness...and he's in good company. Hans' quotes, written on neon index cards (I'm out of hot pink, what's up with that!?) hang alongside Dickens, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Josh Groban and musicals (not to mention quotes from the awesome, amazing Bible!!!).
I found this beautiful quote - "Every man's life is a fairy tale, written by God's fingers." Isn't that just awesome? It's something I've believed for a long time, but to hear it voiced by such a wonderful and renowned author is pretty amazing! Who is this wonderful and renowned author? Let's have a guessing game!
Notes & Quotes
Who said...
The quote written above ^
"To travel is to live."
"Where words fail, music speaks."
"Enjoy life. There is plenty of time to be dead."
"Everything you look at can become a fairy tale and you can get a story from everything you touch."
(Highlight for answer)
Hans Christian Andersen!
For some reason I was surprised to find such deep quotes, especially those about music, coming from the author of fairy tales. And yet, Hans has always been deep. "The Ugly Duckling"? "The Steadfast Tin Soldier"? (Although I don't like that one...it upsets me) I would almost say it was a comforting reminder to me that even when writing children's stories or fairy tales, one can still be deep. One can still write a message. In fact, some of the best messages or allegories are in fairy tales or children's stories. Aslan at the Stone Table? Cinderella's humbleness and kindness in response to her sister's cruelty? And from Cinderella, we can also learn just how much the perfect shoes can change one's life (author unknown).
The classic Grimm and Perault fairytales can be just plain weird. Or creepy. When I watched the Disney princess movies as a little kid, I had nightmares afterwards. If I'm a wife and mom someday, I'm not sure how soon I'll be introducing my children to the princess fairy tales (I'll probably read them some of Hans Christian Andersen though!). But that's okay, because these stories are for big kids, and adults too. As C.S. Lewis said, "Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again."
Going back to Hans Christian Andersen again, I really need to finish reading his fairy tales. Also, there's a really amazing movie called My Life as a Fairytale that's all about Hans Christian Andersen. It entwines his fairytales with his life. It's 3 hours long (why are some of the best movies so long?) but it's a beautiful, fun movie for all ages, although it's kinda an unexpected tearjerker (but I warned you, so you can expect it!). It's on Netflix, I believe, as well. Although I'm not sure how factual the movie is, I'm trying to read Hans' biography, so I can let you know!
On a side note, I think Hans' quotes about God are pretty cool. Some of his quotes have just been stuck on my Door of Epicness...and he's in good company. Hans' quotes, written on neon index cards (I'm out of hot pink, what's up with that!?) hang alongside Dickens, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Josh Groban and musicals (not to mention quotes from the awesome, amazing Bible!!!).
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Characters or Besties?
Characters - they're the people that hold your book together. Without them, your reader has no reason or interest in reading your story. Without characters, I think readers are pretty helpless.
When I was younger, I based my characters off some of my toys - a plush dog, a flocked horse, a plastic figure. Others simply popped into my mind and I developed them as I wrote. Recently, I get to know my characters and flesh them out as I write. Occasionally they are based off friends but some are inspired by other book or movie characters combined with my own ideas.
At first I had no idea how attached I could become to one of those characters. I mean, they're just characters! How could I possibly become so involved? But when you really create a main character, and give them a personality, mannerisms, habits, speech, likes, dislikes, passions, as well as some of your own personality in too, you'll soon find yourself caring about the three-dimensional characters you've thought up. They soon become your friends, if you spend a lot of time writing or thinking about them.
Recently I've learned a little more about aspects of writing. I always thought of writing as something creative, not restricted by a set of rules. I could use simile or personification without knowing what it's called - I learned about grammar and writing styles from reading various books. Although I still believe writing is a creative process, it does help to learn about different writing tips and helps.
A couple months ago I became interested in studying people. I would listen to voices and see how everyone's voices were unique - some people spoke in matter-of-fact tones; others enunciated and were interesting to listen to; others spoke in more of a monotone. Although your reader doesn't need to know everything about your main character(s), you should know quite a bit about them.
I'm thinking about doing a series of articles about characters. I might call it a "Character Study", although this usage of "character" will of course refer to, "a person portrayed in an artistic piece, such as a drama or a novel" (according to the Free Dictionary).
Although I adore hanging out with people in the "real" world, I enjoy hanging' with my characters too. :)
-- Klara C.
Recently I've learned a little more about aspects of writing. I always thought of writing as something creative, not restricted by a set of rules. I could use simile or personification without knowing what it's called - I learned about grammar and writing styles from reading various books. Although I still believe writing is a creative process, it does help to learn about different writing tips and helps.
A couple months ago I became interested in studying people. I would listen to voices and see how everyone's voices were unique - some people spoke in matter-of-fact tones; others enunciated and were interesting to listen to; others spoke in more of a monotone. Although your reader doesn't need to know everything about your main character(s), you should know quite a bit about them.
I'm thinking about doing a series of articles about characters. I might call it a "Character Study", although this usage of "character" will of course refer to, "a person portrayed in an artistic piece, such as a drama or a novel" (according to the Free Dictionary).
Although I adore hanging out with people in the "real" world, I enjoy hanging' with my characters too. :)
-- Klara C.
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