Character Studies

As part of my 100 day program (I think it is going to take me longer than that) I am writing character studies. Starting with my protagonist (whom I haven't named yet) I wrote about appearance, attitudes, and abilities. As I did that an amazing thing happened -- I also somehow* learned about the character's back-story and how that changed them into the person he/she is now. As the character developed a history for the world developed too. I had to answer why a person was the way they were and the answers came more readily than I imagined they would.

Here is an example of what I mean. I learned that my protagonist's father is dead so she is living with her mother and step-father. How did he die? He died violently. Who killed him and why? Soldiers killed him durring a coup d'etat. Who is in power now forming what kind of goverment/society? You'll have to read the book.

*For a detailed discription about how books and characters are created refer to Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next in the Well of Lost Plots.

How To Write a Novel

So I am sitting at home, thinking about how little progress I have made on my novella (I really should give it a working title so I can stop calling it "my novella" and "my novel") when I realize that I have all the tools I need at my fingertips. It is called the internet.

So I googled "How to Write a Novel" and lo and behold... a website entitled "How to Write a Novel in 100 Days." According to this site all I need to be able to do is 1)write sentences, 2)be alert to the world around me, 3)draw from pure emotion, and 4) really want to. Check, check, check, and sorta check.

Here I go -- day 1 -- make a promise that you are going to do it.I, Kelly Ann, hereby solomnly decide, being of sound mind and body, to write a novel of at least 100 pages. Done. Now I have to write as often as I can. Sounds easy enough.

The Great Journey

I have always wanted to travel. I want to be on the move and see places that are steeped in history. I want to explore castles and ruins, be astounded by fabulous art, learn the local language, spontaneously get on an airplane or train and just go. But I can't. For as few obligations as I really have, I sure am tied down.

That is where my protagonist comes in. She can do all the things that I can't. She can learn the language when I can't get past "Hello, my name is Kelly. I have a reservation. Do you speak english?" She can take a leave of absence from her job when I don't have nearly enough vacation time. She can have a trust fund when I am still paying student loans. I wish I knew what it feels like to be her.

So much for being struck by the muse and understanding her world and family. She is my protagonist and I can't get inside her head! How can I write about what I have never experienced? How can I fill my novella with descriptions and reactions and interactions with places I've never been? Worse still, I don't know why she wants to go and what happens to her while she is travelling. Does she learn about the kindness of others? Realize that man is mortal and will therefore die? Does she fall in love? Meet with tragedy? I don't know!

Yet another false start.

Novel Saboteur

MRC is a novel saboteur. She knows that I have a limited amount of time to devote to things that I lump into "novel research." Characters in my novel will routinely eat, sleep, run errands, read books, garden, etc. which means that I need to experience those things regularly too, otherwise I will never be able to convey the glory of their ordinariness in my prose.

Enter the Novel Saboteur. She has a clever tactic called "joint custody." By this agreement I have custody of a Nintendo DS whenever MRC has too many "more important things to do." What this really means it that I get so obsessed about getting that last gold coin that I stay up late, don't answer my phone, and neglect my "research."

I think that my protagonist suffers from a gaming addiction.

Children's Novel

After an entirely not-work-related e-mail conversation, My Respected Co-worker (MRC) suggested that I write a series of illiterative childrens books including "How Awful for April" and "Melissa is Messy" perfecting my art for the more challenging "Zander is Zany." When I explained that MRF wouldn't let me combine multiple books to meet the required page amount, MRC said that "April is the key, develop her character." So I guess "How Awful for April" would become increasingly dark and end in homicide or insanity, preferably both. Of course, Murder and Mayhem sounds better with Melissa.

I'm Writing, Writing a Novel

There is a file on my computer called "Kelly's Novella." It is password protected and for all intents and purposes blank. There are a couple false starts and a whole lot of nothing. My respected friend (I will imitate Dickens and call her MRF) insists that our novels must be at least 100 pages. She also insists that my book makes her cry. To which I say -- I never agreed to let anyone read my novel, I only agreed to write it.

I have made a few important decisions though. My protagonist will be female and she will have a good friend named Heather or Jennifer, because all female protagonists seem to have a best/special/bosom friend named Heather or Jennifer. What can I say, I'm a traditionalist. Secondly, I write a good and amusing letter (if I do say so myself) so I'll follow my relative strengths as a writer and write an epistle. Besides, it is fun to say. Epistle. Aren't words fun?

But I still need a plot...

The Start

People who write novels are supposed to have something they want to tell the world. A story burning inside of them that they need to tell. All I have is a I'll-write-one-if-you-write-one agreement. Have you ever tried to write a novel? It is hard. Who are your characters? What do they learn? Do they learn anything? What style? Whose Voice? Plot? I have to think of a plot?! Hence, the blog. It might be amusing to follow my haphazard creative process and it might be helpful to me to have somewhere to record my journey. Who knows, someday I might write a book about it...