Spotlight On: The Lace Reader

This is a winner, folks. The Lace Reader is the best-crafted modern adult novel I've read in the last five years. It's not out yet, so I'm not going to include any spoilers in this post, but the book is a great study in character development in relationship to plot and environment. The book is sometimes startling, but is never misleading. It's got all the psychological intrigue common to the modern novel or play, with enough of a sense of magic (grounded in the environment) and physical threat to satisfy a fan of Camelot and Robin Hood. The sense of place is remarkable. The characters are as vivid as the imagery. This is the type of book that you should just read: don't bother to read the back or find out what it's about; just get ahold of it and read it.

Resolution: Take Public Transportion

Taking mass transportation is better for the environment, and it will reduce what you spend on gas. But even more important here, it's a great place to find stories.

On a subway or train or bus, keep an ear out for interesting conversations, or try your hand at starting one. If the crowd seems too preoccupied or unsociable for conversation, just observe. Find unusual details of dress, body language, etc. that you can use in a future story.

It has often been remarked that no plot is unique - in short that every story has been told before. But if you make your story detailed and specific, it will be an old plot told in a way that no one but you could have told it.

Variation: Walk. Keep an eye on the people around you and how they interact. Do they smile at you or avoid eye contact? Do you move out of their way or vice versa? If there aren't many or any people around, look for details in the environment instead. For more info on the benefits of walking, check out the 10,000 Steps Program.

Outlines: A Bird's Eye View

Many writers draw up outlines prior to starting a story, and many others groan at the thought. But whether you start writing when you have a fully formed plot or only a few lines of dialogue, an outline can be a useful tool in revision.

Outline, or write on index cards, your plot points. Make yourself take a step back and look at the overall story. Are there points when it drags? Do you have pages of description, or whole scene of spectacle or special effects, where the story doesn't move forward at all? Consider cutting or condensing the scene/pages or, if your story supports it, adding in at least one plot point to the scene.

This exercise can also be useful for character development. Map out the plot points relevant to one character - perhaps to your part in the play. Does your character grow and change over the course of the story? The more characters with a strong character arch, the more interesting the story.

Using a Prop as a Stand-In for Another Character

One way to use a prop in theatre is to treat the prop as though it is another character. If a gentleman has left his briefcase behind, the lady on stage might stomp on it if she is mad at him or caress it if she is in love with him. This is particularly useful if she is alone on stage, as it provides another "character" for her to address her lines to.

Do you have any moments when a character seems to be talking to himself? Can you use a prop to ground this conversation? (Remember, writers can use "props" too. Just write in an object for your character to manipulate.)

How do your characters treat each others' belongings? Does a daughter hold her mother's hairbrush with care, almost reverence? Does one friend treat another's belongings too casually? Develop these moments so that they are appropriate to the relationships involved.

Setting the Story

A set designer builds a set that will support the story. If the play deals with issues of status, the set designer may create a set with different levels. Perhaps the king will stand on the higher levels, making other characters look up to him. Or in a play like King Lear, he might stand on the lower levels, as Lear's daughters ignore and make a fool of him.

How does your character's environment define him? Is he stuck in a small room throughout most of the story? Does he accept this or rebel against it, literally or figuratively bouncing off the walls? Does she revel in the great outdoors or is she more comfortable in the prim drawing room? Does she seek to conquer the land or to lose herself in a maze of streets?

Character: Building a Persona in the SCA

Members of the Society for Creative Anachronism "recreate" the Middle Ages at various events, feasts, and game-like battles throughout the year. Each member creates a medieval persona for him or herself, which might be extremely detailed and well-developed.

The title link (by Modar Neznanich) describes how one might create such a persona. Most of the questions Modar poses are as useful for an author writing a character or an actor playing a part as they are for a SCAdian forming a persona.

If your character is modern, try thinking of him in a historical period. Is he really a knight in shining armor, out of place in the 20th century? How would she have felt about having to wear a dress all the time?
If your character was in the SCA, what persona would he or she choose?