Today I thought I might write more about what Dean Koontz's teacher told him when he asked what made for a great novel. Today, I'll talk about the 4th of the eight things he was told a novel needs: to be colorful, imaginative, and convincing characterizations.
In a lot of the reviews I've received for Bridgetown High the reviewer mentioned that they loved my characters, all kind of saying, "They are well drawn and convincing." So, what made them that way?
The first thing I did for each character was to get into his or her head. Decide what makes them tick. What are their motives? What do they want most? What do they fear most? Then, as situation changed, so did their wants, fears, needs, etc. I even got into the antagonist's head and made him, if not likable, at least sympathetic. I hope you are doing the same with your characterizations.
Some writers use a question/answer sheet for each character, writing these questions down. They also draw verbal descriptions of the characters. I don't go through all that, but I do have this all stored in my head. I'll admit that can be a little scary, however, unless you can remember what a character looks like or thinks from the beginning of the book to the end. In other words being consistent and track all the changes as you write.
In a review I received recently the reviewer said: "Well-drawn characters and exciting. I enjoyed getting to know the characters in this book. We meet seventeen year old Mark Wilkerson attending the funeral of his parents and little sister and learn they were killed in a car accident on Christmas eve that he and his other younger sister survived. The story follows him as he deals with this immense tragedy by trying to find out exactly what happened and who was responsible. There is a message about forgiveness and healing in this book."
So, until next time, please "Share" and "Like" this blog post on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter, then PLEASE, write a review and post it on all the sites where you can find my book. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and a few other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on all of these sites if you need more info about Bridgetown High.
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