Characters
April 9, 2010 | 
Author 
In a novel or short story you need characters that seem as real as possible and act in ways that make sense to the reader. Some people make a grand production of creating characters, filling out a 25 page character sheets, writing character episodes and even drawing artwork of their characters to get a real feel of what they look like. Other people just some open a baby name book, randomly choose a name and say, “Frank. Yeah, Frank is a great name for my stereo typical warrior.” And then they proceed to write the same warrior that has been found in every formulaic fantasy novel since the 1970s.
To get a truly believable character for your fiction writing, you probably have to fall somewhere between those two extremes. Of course, if you enjoy delving into the deep dark secrets of every character you make you can use character sheets and write stories of the character that will not end up in your finished novel. For simple characters, like the back up guy who gets killed by the rampaging werehog halfway through chapter 2, you probably could just give them the name and set them loose on your pages. Read the rest of this entry »
Here’s an article by my close friend, Melanie, about writing character’s thoughts in fiction.
In quality fiction writing it is often important to tell what your character is thinking. There are multiple acceptable methods for doing this. The method you choose depends largely on the point of view of your story, and the specific publication you are writing for.
Fiction Writing: How to Write Your Character’s Thoughts – Read More Here
The two main methods of how to write your character’s thoughts in fiction are through the use of Italics or quotation marks and commas. In the first example, your characters thoughts would be written in italics without any quotation marks. You would still put a, between the thought and the thought tag such as “she thought.”
In the second example, your characters thoughts would be witnessed the same way as spoken dialogue. The actual thought would be in quotation marks and you would use a comma before the speech tag.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=2e604295-583e-46fb-ac82-99a924d87b9a)
Posted in Characters, Writing Help | 
Tags: Character, Dialogue, Fiction, Fiction writing, Writing | 
No Comments »
- Image via Wikipedia
Fantasy fiction is one of the most popular speculative genres available. Store bookshelves, movie marquees and Internet fiction sites are full of tales of magic and surrealism. When learning how to write fantasy fiction many people start with the old standbys of Tolkien-esque and Dungeons & Dragons lore. If you find yourself reaching for the monster manual in order to come up with characters for your fantasy fiction, it is time to pour some figurative gasoline on your brain and set it alight.
I’ve come across multiple sites on the Internet to tell you what the worst clichés of fantasy fiction are. If you were wondering what are some fantasy characters you should never write about, you might like to start with one of these lists. However, once reading a few of these lists you come to realize that they contradict each other and, in fact, it would be nearly impossible to write any fantasy fiction without using some of the supposedly chaise listed within. For example, one list mentions you should never use elves, dwarves or wizards. Another list states you should avoid writing about humans. Read the rest of this entry »
No More Too Perfect, Save the World, Unbelievable Characters
Mary Sue characters are found in much beginning fiction, especially fan fiction. They are to be avoided at all costs. But what is a Mary Sue character, and why are they bad?
Beginning fiction writers often have trouble creating believable characters. Some seem to create fiction as an extension, or escape, from their own boring life.
A Mary Sue character is injected into a story so that the writer may live vicariously through them. They are usually perfect, beautiful, and directly responsible for the story’s happy ending. Mary Sue characters get the most handsome male character, are friends with all the rest, and never messes up.
How to Avoid Writing a Mary Sue Fiction Character
Fan clubs happen wherever a character or personality catches the public’s interest. Fiction characters such as Harry Potter have many fan clubs where people talk about the character, pretend to be the character, and write fan fiction about the character. It is a fiction writer’s dream come true. If a fiction writer can generate enough interest in one of their characters to warrant a fan club, they are on the road to success.
How to Create a Fan Club for Your Fiction Character
Fiction Character Fan Club – Introduce Your Character
A fiction character’s first introduction to the public is usually in the book itself. However, it is possible to hype the impending publication of your book by introducing your character early. Have him promote the book. This is especially effective for the point of view character or narrator. Let him tell the public about the book and his story and life.
Fairies, or fae folk, are one of the staples of the fantasy genre. Although they populate classic fairy tales more often than fantasy novels, fairies still have a place in modern fiction. If you write fantasy fiction and are interested in fairies, this article can help you learn about the different types and their usual roles in stories.
How to Write Fairies in Fantasy Fiction
Elements of Time
Available from Twin Trinity Media.
Elements of Dimension continues the Twin Trinity short story anthology series with more top-quality stories and poems. This book explores the themes of science fiction, fantasy and reality. I have one short story, "Death Obeyed," and one poem, "Tale of the Suburban Dungeon" in this book.
"Elements of Time" short story anthology is available now. It features winning stories from the Accentuate Services contests plus themed poetry. Two of M. Lori Motley's short stories, "Inescapable" and "No Time Like Now," are included.
"Elements of Soul" short story anthology is available now. It features fifteen winning stories from the Accentuate Services contests plus themed poetry. Two of M. Lori Motley's short stories, "Summer Heat" and "Flood of Tears," are included.