Character Types in Fiction
As we’ve traveled down the road of how to write a novel, I’ve talked about the steps your protagonist must take while on his journey through your novel. Today I’m going to introduce you to those various characters he’ll meet along the way. Today we’ll meet the Hero and the Mentor. Tomorrow, we’ll meet more.
Before we meet these all-important and archetypal helpers, hinderers and others, let’s review who it is these many creatures represent. I like to think of them as the assorted types of people I meet in real life. When I populate my manuscripts with characters, I infuse them with human characteristics, typically from people I’ve met, know or know of. After all, the best stories are little more than metaphors for the human condition, are they not. This idea works for creatures, too. Regardless the species of your characters, they will assume human qualities.
Consider your novel’s champion, or protagonist, for example. He lives, struggles, overcomes, succumbs, grows, learns and maybe even dies. He loves, he hates, he suffers, he surpasses and so on. These are all aspects of the human condition, so it’s quite obvious your characters will exhibit the qualities of existent humans.
These guys to whom I’ll introduce you today are universal. They can be employed in whatever genre you write. In a war story, is there a hero? Yep. How about a love story? It’s the same. What if you wish to write about talking birds? You’ll have the same characters in there somewhere.
Armed with that knowledge, let’s introduce the major character types in fiction.
First, and of most importance, is The Hero.
In my research for this article I learned the word, “hero” is Greek in origin and means “one who protects or one who serves.” Think of him as a shepherd of sorts, someone who will sacrifice for the good of his flock. This concept of sacrificing one’s self is at the heart of the hero’s meaning.
It is his fate to leave the comfortable confines of his world and venture into the place where he is, in effect, lost. He, like us, must learn to cope, to grow and to overcome. During his journey, he will face tests, meet teachers and guides, come across those who wish him harm and maybe even meet his love. Hum… sounds sort of like our own lives, doesn’t it? (Do you see a secret to writing a successful novel in that last sentence?)
His purpose in your story is to give your readers a window into not only the story, but life itself. You must find a way to make your protagonist relate to as many potential readers as possible. This is done by instilling in your hero those universal characteristics that your readers will appreciate. That is, qualities we find within ourselves.
Think about some of those universal aspects of the human animal and give those qualities to your hero. You can consider among others, fear, revenge, love, lust, patriotism, desperation, freedom, survival, understanding or idealism. If you can convey these qualities into your hero, the reader will have an easier time identifying with him. This is one of the many secrets to having your manuscript accepted. If you notice, I mention some unsavory qualities, too. Yes, give your hero some of those. Not too many, mind you, but an interesting flaw or two will humanize your hero. Are real life heroes perfect? Neither are your novel based ones.
Keep in mind your hero may be a willing accomplice to his fate or not. It’s unimportant as to his enthusiasm for his quest. Also remember these ideas apply regardless the form your hero takes, be it animal, alien, or even a vegetable.
Another aspect to his fate is action. This does not need be explosive in nature, but rather in the aspect the hero is in control of his personal fate.
The most terrifying scene for your hero is his coming face-to-face with Death. It can be in a metaphorical sense, but he must fact the greatest of losses in your climactic scene. In this part of your novel, your protagonist must present his truly heroic side by willingly sacrificing himself for the good of others if needs be.
Our next character is the ever-popular Mentor.
This character goes by many names and among them is the Wise Old Man or Wizard. He is usually a positive figure, though he need not be so. The archetype is of a lesser hero, if you will. In simple terms, he’s a guide for your premier character.
He represents the best person within us all. He insures the hero is made aware of right from wrong and is provided with all the necessary knowledge or skills to complete his quest. He is a gift-giver of sorts. Think of the Fairy-Godmother in “Cinderella” or Merlin in “King Arthur.”
His main purpose lies in teaching. Your hero comes into this new world of his without many, if not most, of the skills he’ll need to complete his quest. It matters not if he is to drive a silver stake into the heart of Dracula or if she is to find a new love. Regardless the journey, the hero lacks something and the Mentor is there to take care of that nasty little inconvenience.
There is typically a catch involved with these wonderful gifts. And that is they should be earned by your hero. Think of Snow White in her fairy tale. Who later comes to her aid? All the creatures of the forest do. And why do they do this for her? It’s because Snow White showed them kindness earlier in the tale.
The Mentor can have other functions, too. He might act as conscience to your hero. (Hum… might your hero rebel against this conscience? Uh, do real people?) The Mentor may also serve to motivate him or even introduce him to the physical pleasures of love. (This guy can be a lot of fun!)
There are many types of Mentors. He may be what’s called a Dark Mentor, where the good qualities of the human being are turned inside out. Think Joan Wilder’s agent in “Romancing the Stone.” At some point, Joan’s agent turns against advising Joan to succeed and begins to plant doubts in Joan Wilder’s mind. This type of Mentor can be interesting as they typically change from a force of good to one of doubt. They can also be presented as first a bringer of doubt and later transform into a source of power.
There are Fallen Mentors like Tom Hanks in “A League of Their Own.” There are Continuing Mentors, those that carry over into sequels, such as “M” in the James Bond series. There can be Multiple Mentors. Think Obi Wan and Yoda in “Star Wars.” However, if you use Multiple Mentors, insure one is premier while the multiples are minor in comparison, bringing lesser gifts.
This list of Mentor types goes on and on, but they all serve the same purpose. They teach and are givers of gifts. These guys bring inspiration, guidance, training, weapons, hope and all the other tools your hero requires. Without them in your story, at least at an emotional or mental level, your story will be incomplete.
As to placement of Mentors in your manuscript, they show up when they are needed to insure your story moves forward.
In tomorrow’s post on how to write a book, I’ll introduce you to other characters such as the Shapeshifter, Threshold Guardians, Heralds, Tricksters and Shadows. Sounds exciting!
Hum… this may turn into a three part post. We’ll see.
Until we meet again, may all your books be best-sellers.
C. Patrick Schulze
Showing posts with label how to write novel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how to write novel. Show all posts
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
A Dozen Ways to Create an Opening Scene
We’ve all heard readers must be caught up in your novel from the very first page if you wish them to finish this book and purchase your next. But how does one go about creating that initial burst of excitement?
There is any number of options open to us as authors, but here’s your list of a dozen that’ll work well, if crafted correctly. (Ah, the ever-present caveat!) See if any of these will work for you.
1. The proverbial Great Line. I once read and still remember this one. “When I was little, I would think of ways to kill my daddy.” How’s that for grabbing the imagination. To develop this Great Line, compress your novel’s major conflict into a single sentence, then polish.
2. Have the bad guy show up early and in a big way. Your opening might be something like, “The assassins bullet…”
3. The likeable hero can be introduced right away, but be certain to include his worthy goal. Think along the line of, “His mother understood early in Johnnie’s life he would need unique attention.”
4. Introduce humor in the opening paragraph. Make sure it fits your audience. Toilet humor might work in VYA, (Very Young Adult), but the church elders will probably, uh, “pass.”
5. Introduce a feeling of danger right away. “…he saw men on horseback, riding hard, their horses kicking up a swirl behind them.”
6. Write a scene that’s easy on the senses in a conversational tone. Make it natural but lyrical. Paint a picture with which your audience will identify. “The landscape looked as if an artist had brushed his fondest vision of nature on his canvas.”
7. Introduce an ominous foreshadowing. “Carrion birds floated in a languid circle off to the south. Something was about to die.”
8. Begin with formidable obstacles your hero must face and overcome. “Exhausted, he crested what he thought was his final obstacle but saw a snowcapped mountain range still to his fore.” (Hey, I’m working on the fly here, cut me some slack, huh?) They need not be physical barriers, of course, but you get the idea.
9. Use immediate action. Stuff blowing up is always fun, but it can just as readily be an argument, a personal conflict or even one having to face humility. Just make is pop right away.
10. Open with high level of tension. Use a heavy dose of emotion mixed with high drama. Think of the last argument you had before you demanded a divorce. That’ll get ‘em worked up.
11. A clear representation of an appealing setting might work for you. Consider your “safe place” in all its glory and invite your reader to join you.
12. An effective joining of humor and tension. “When the bullet ripped into his flesh, he knew the day was not going well.” Trite, I know, but use that as your example and get off my back.
So there ya go. A dozen easy openings to hook your reader and sell more books. Good luck.
So long for now and may all your books be best-sellers.
Patrick
There is any number of options open to us as authors, but here’s your list of a dozen that’ll work well, if crafted correctly. (Ah, the ever-present caveat!) See if any of these will work for you.
1. The proverbial Great Line. I once read and still remember this one. “When I was little, I would think of ways to kill my daddy.” How’s that for grabbing the imagination. To develop this Great Line, compress your novel’s major conflict into a single sentence, then polish.
2. Have the bad guy show up early and in a big way. Your opening might be something like, “The assassins bullet…”
3. The likeable hero can be introduced right away, but be certain to include his worthy goal. Think along the line of, “His mother understood early in Johnnie’s life he would need unique attention.”
4. Introduce humor in the opening paragraph. Make sure it fits your audience. Toilet humor might work in VYA, (Very Young Adult), but the church elders will probably, uh, “pass.”
5. Introduce a feeling of danger right away. “…he saw men on horseback, riding hard, their horses kicking up a swirl behind them.”
6. Write a scene that’s easy on the senses in a conversational tone. Make it natural but lyrical. Paint a picture with which your audience will identify. “The landscape looked as if an artist had brushed his fondest vision of nature on his canvas.”
7. Introduce an ominous foreshadowing. “Carrion birds floated in a languid circle off to the south. Something was about to die.”
8. Begin with formidable obstacles your hero must face and overcome. “Exhausted, he crested what he thought was his final obstacle but saw a snowcapped mountain range still to his fore.” (Hey, I’m working on the fly here, cut me some slack, huh?) They need not be physical barriers, of course, but you get the idea.
9. Use immediate action. Stuff blowing up is always fun, but it can just as readily be an argument, a personal conflict or even one having to face humility. Just make is pop right away.
10. Open with high level of tension. Use a heavy dose of emotion mixed with high drama. Think of the last argument you had before you demanded a divorce. That’ll get ‘em worked up.
11. A clear representation of an appealing setting might work for you. Consider your “safe place” in all its glory and invite your reader to join you.
12. An effective joining of humor and tension. “When the bullet ripped into his flesh, he knew the day was not going well.” Trite, I know, but use that as your example and get off my back.
So there ya go. A dozen easy openings to hook your reader and sell more books. Good luck.
So long for now and may all your books be best-sellers.
Patrick
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Hero's Journey - Ordinary World
Step One of the Hero’s Journey
Ordinary World
Good day, All,
In my last posting I discussed The Hero’s Journey and its twelve stages that make up THE formula for story telling through a novel. Today I’ll be talking with you about the first step in The Hero’s Journey called Ordinary World.
Ordinary World is designed to have your reader get to know and appreciate your hero before he sets out on his quest. Flesh him out as a human being, (or whatever alien applies…). Do this with dialogue and action that show who and what he is. Is your hero a murderer? He’s probably been in a bar fight or two. Does your green caterpillar turn into a butterfly on the last page? Better have some green leaves somewhere in your novel. Just show us who he is by words and physical movement.
Let’s look again to our classic Star Wars for inspiration. Think of the how we were first introduced to Luke. He was an orphan living with his Aunt and Uncle on their farm. One day they were purchasing farm equipment such as the robots R2D2 and 3CPO. They met with some salespeople, (actually desert wandering sales-creature-types with stun guns), and were negotiating over quality and price. Sounds pretty much like the typical farmer’s life from any period in history, doesn’t it? (Save for aliens and robots and such…)
Well, those scenes were Luke’s everyday life and they comprised his Ordinary World. In these scenes we learn Luke’s life goals, his frustrations and his youthful outlook toward others. We even know what he looks like. Mr. Spielberg made certain we knew the character pretty well. Most importantly however, we came to appreciate and even like Luke as a person.
Here’s a hint… During the Ordinary World, insure your reader comes to some sort of attachment to your hero. If they don’t, they quit reading. (“Quit reading” is formal business terminology for no word of mouth advertising…) We’ll talk about this on later blogs.
There is any number of ways to show this stage of the journey and I challenge you to write your novels in inventive ways to portray your hero’s Ordinary World. One of my favorites is the Ordinary World of the movie Sahara. The camera pans over an office where numerous newspaper and magazine articles are pinned to the walls. These clipping give the Ordinary World of the hero from his Naval Academy days until the time of the movie. Their use of these clippings was, in my opinion, a unique and effective methodology for introducing us to his Ordinary World. Without a line of text or a word of dialogue, we liked the hero before we even saw him on the big screen. So, don’t think narrative and dialogue are your only tools.
So there ya go… Give us someone we can like about your pivotal character and don’t forget to set up what it is he’s to lose. That should about do it.
Now, getting back to Luke, I have a question for you. When does Luke’s Ordinary World end and his Call to Adventure begin? If you can figure this out, you’re well on your way to understanding the next step in The Hero’s Journey.
Feel free to drop a line if you have any questions.
Good writing, everyone!
Till next time we meet.
Ordinary World
Good day, All,
In my last posting I discussed The Hero’s Journey and its twelve stages that make up THE formula for story telling through a novel. Today I’ll be talking with you about the first step in The Hero’s Journey called Ordinary World.
Ordinary World is designed to have your reader get to know and appreciate your hero before he sets out on his quest. Flesh him out as a human being, (or whatever alien applies…). Do this with dialogue and action that show who and what he is. Is your hero a murderer? He’s probably been in a bar fight or two. Does your green caterpillar turn into a butterfly on the last page? Better have some green leaves somewhere in your novel. Just show us who he is by words and physical movement.
Let’s look again to our classic Star Wars for inspiration. Think of the how we were first introduced to Luke. He was an orphan living with his Aunt and Uncle on their farm. One day they were purchasing farm equipment such as the robots R2D2 and 3CPO. They met with some salespeople, (actually desert wandering sales-creature-types with stun guns), and were negotiating over quality and price. Sounds pretty much like the typical farmer’s life from any period in history, doesn’t it? (Save for aliens and robots and such…)
Well, those scenes were Luke’s everyday life and they comprised his Ordinary World. In these scenes we learn Luke’s life goals, his frustrations and his youthful outlook toward others. We even know what he looks like. Mr. Spielberg made certain we knew the character pretty well. Most importantly however, we came to appreciate and even like Luke as a person.
Here’s a hint… During the Ordinary World, insure your reader comes to some sort of attachment to your hero. If they don’t, they quit reading. (“Quit reading” is formal business terminology for no word of mouth advertising…) We’ll talk about this on later blogs.
There is any number of ways to show this stage of the journey and I challenge you to write your novels in inventive ways to portray your hero’s Ordinary World. One of my favorites is the Ordinary World of the movie Sahara. The camera pans over an office where numerous newspaper and magazine articles are pinned to the walls. These clipping give the Ordinary World of the hero from his Naval Academy days until the time of the movie. Their use of these clippings was, in my opinion, a unique and effective methodology for introducing us to his Ordinary World. Without a line of text or a word of dialogue, we liked the hero before we even saw him on the big screen. So, don’t think narrative and dialogue are your only tools.
So there ya go… Give us someone we can like about your pivotal character and don’t forget to set up what it is he’s to lose. That should about do it.
Now, getting back to Luke, I have a question for you. When does Luke’s Ordinary World end and his Call to Adventure begin? If you can figure this out, you’re well on your way to understanding the next step in The Hero’s Journey.
Feel free to drop a line if you have any questions.
Good writing, everyone!
Till next time we meet.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
How to write a novel.
Good day, All.
Today's post will touch on how writers insure their novel is written in such a fashion as to appeal to their readers regardless the audience. The answer, as is so often the case, is simple, yet the application is difficult.
When someone wishes to write a novel, there is an actual formula to telling the story. This formula, known as the Hero's Journey, has been around since the time of mythology and will last well past the day we all cease telling stories. In fact, this is the framework around which any novel can be built. I recommend all new writers follow it when they are new to novel writing. (And long after...)
The Hero's Journey is often defined by different "authorities" in different ways, but the one I have found useful has twelve steps to follow. They are...
1. Ordinary Life
2. Call to Adventure
3. Refusal of the Call
4. Meeting the Mentor
5. Crossing the Threshold
6. Enemies, Allies and Tests
7. Point of No Return
8. Supreme Ordeal
9. Reward
10. Journey Home
11. Resurrection
12. Return Home
Although we'll go into each one of these steps in more detail, they are basically self-explanatory. In general, if the hero in your story finds himself involved in these twelve situations, your story will be defined and should appeal to almost any reader.
To get started, think of a favorite movie. Now follow the storyline and see if the primary character finds himself in the situations listed above. I'll bet you will. Once you can identify the steps within The Hero's Journey in, say a movie, you'll begin to understand how to apply them to your novel writing.
Star Wars is always a good example for any aspiring writer. Think of the episode where Luke's parents are killed. Remember it? If you recall the beginning of the story, Luke is working the farm but asks permission to strike out on his own. Can you see that scene in your mind's eye? That scene is Ordinary Life, which is step one in The Hero's Journey. Now, here's a clue... If Spielberg can use the Hero's Journey, so can you and I.
In my next post, we'll discuss step one, Ordinary Life, in more detail.
Good writing.
Patrick
Today's post will touch on how writers insure their novel is written in such a fashion as to appeal to their readers regardless the audience. The answer, as is so often the case, is simple, yet the application is difficult.
When someone wishes to write a novel, there is an actual formula to telling the story. This formula, known as the Hero's Journey, has been around since the time of mythology and will last well past the day we all cease telling stories. In fact, this is the framework around which any novel can be built. I recommend all new writers follow it when they are new to novel writing. (And long after...)
The Hero's Journey is often defined by different "authorities" in different ways, but the one I have found useful has twelve steps to follow. They are...
1. Ordinary Life
2. Call to Adventure
3. Refusal of the Call
4. Meeting the Mentor
5. Crossing the Threshold
6. Enemies, Allies and Tests
7. Point of No Return
8. Supreme Ordeal
9. Reward
10. Journey Home
11. Resurrection
12. Return Home
Although we'll go into each one of these steps in more detail, they are basically self-explanatory. In general, if the hero in your story finds himself involved in these twelve situations, your story will be defined and should appeal to almost any reader.
To get started, think of a favorite movie. Now follow the storyline and see if the primary character finds himself in the situations listed above. I'll bet you will. Once you can identify the steps within The Hero's Journey in, say a movie, you'll begin to understand how to apply them to your novel writing.
Star Wars is always a good example for any aspiring writer. Think of the episode where Luke's parents are killed. Remember it? If you recall the beginning of the story, Luke is working the farm but asks permission to strike out on his own. Can you see that scene in your mind's eye? That scene is Ordinary Life, which is step one in The Hero's Journey. Now, here's a clue... If Spielberg can use the Hero's Journey, so can you and I.
In my next post, we'll discuss step one, Ordinary Life, in more detail.
Good writing.
Patrick
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Welcome to all Novel Writers!
Good day and welcome to my blog.
In this writer's blog, I hope to assist aspiring novel writers, (and even some old hands), gain more knowledge and confidence with their craft and to help insure success with their fiction writing . In this vein, I will offer various novel writing lessons.
These lessons will include such things as how to get that story hiding within you onto paper, which is still necessary despite the technology of the day. This also means learning how to tell a story well, which many find more difficult that they imagined. Further, we as writers face the daunting task of learning the craft of writing, and all that entails. (Boy do I have stories there...) Then, of course, you need to know how to edit, then edit again and edit a few more times before offering it to a discriminating agent or publisher for critique. I also wish to help those pen pushers with the process of formal publication and the myriad of issues with that minefield.(Ah, the all-powerful Slush Pile!)
I'll post the lessons weekly so visit regularly.
The first lesson will be How to Tell Your Story.
Okay, I'll ask you to speak with anyone you know who might have an interest in writing the next Great American Novel to come on board and see if we can't help get them published!
Thanks.
Patrick
In this writer's blog, I hope to assist aspiring novel writers, (and even some old hands), gain more knowledge and confidence with their craft and to help insure success with their fiction writing . In this vein, I will offer various novel writing lessons.
These lessons will include such things as how to get that story hiding within you onto paper, which is still necessary despite the technology of the day. This also means learning how to tell a story well, which many find more difficult that they imagined. Further, we as writers face the daunting task of learning the craft of writing, and all that entails. (Boy do I have stories there...) Then, of course, you need to know how to edit, then edit again and edit a few more times before offering it to a discriminating agent or publisher for critique. I also wish to help those pen pushers with the process of formal publication and the myriad of issues with that minefield.(Ah, the all-powerful Slush Pile!)
I'll post the lessons weekly so visit regularly.
The first lesson will be How to Tell Your Story.
Okay, I'll ask you to speak with anyone you know who might have an interest in writing the next Great American Novel to come on board and see if we can't help get them published!
Thanks.
Patrick
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