I love the saying ‘make your readers believe.’ Sounds straightforward right? Well, it’s not as simple as it sounds. Getting people to believe the stuff you make up is complicated.
As writers, we are creating characters with ferocious histories, intense attachments, and/or tricky relationships. Our characters would be boring without these problems, correct? And their journeys would be ordinary. The people we create on the page may seem externally like everyday normal people but internally, something is brewing. That’s why we create people and stories. Because stuff is going on inside our characters. Big stuff. And it’s fabulous fun digging into that big stuff.
Our make-believe individuals have aspirations and desires. Believable hopes and fears, formed by the experiences that make up their past. How do we mesh their past with their present needs? Then, how do we stop our people from getting what they need? Your characters are on a journey, and you must understand exactly what that journey is. What is their inner conflict? And how does that help you shape out and show the story’s themes? They are your babies, and they must have an arc of change, a transformation.
Creating all this big stuff takes time. A lot of time. So, stay close to your people. Stay with your characters, at all times keep them close to your heart. Stick with your creatures.
Next week, Keeping Our Creatures Close Part 2
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If you’d like to share any comments or thoughts, I’d be happy to hear from you. Email me directly at lisacliffordwriter@gmail.com.