Q&A with TL James discussion

What makes a character stick out to you?

Good question. I like characters who feel "real" to me. Even in an unreal situation, the characters need to be genuine. If I can come away from a read feeling I "know" the character(s) I will have usually enjoyed the read.

When I create my characters, I try to make them genuine first and foremost. After that, telling the story is much easier because I can allow the characters to be themselves and do the things they would do.

You are so right. If you find the voice of the character, the story seems to tell itself.

It's all about character, ain't it? Let your characters do what they want, and like TL says, the story will tell itself. All we, as writers, have to do is sit back and type it.

I, for one, really like it when a character makes a mistake. That sticks out to me both as a reader and a writer. Because we all make so many mistakes on a daily basis, I'll let characters go about their business and do the wrong thing (knowing that they're headin' for trouble), just to see how they'll get out of it.

My definition of writer's block is when the writer wants to tell the story and the character doesn't want to do it. I have had many characters fit!

My current struggle is killing my character off. HE WILL NOT DIE! I have tried several ways, and he says NO to all of them.

Love that definition of writer's block. And I think you're right; so often have I been "stuck" and it's all due to a character. Just gotta let 'em loose and let 'em think.

As far as dying, I've had the opposite problem. Suddenly one of my main characters will be dead, and I'll be saddened. "Gee, guess he couldn't figure THAT one out, huh?"

Hi,
I can relate. I had a character who did what he darn well pleased & sent my novel into a whole 'nother direction, but in the end I was glad he did.

I feel a character should be someone you can't help but get engulfed with. Someone you can't help but share their problems, their triumphs, their ups and downs.

I learned from TL to let the character be him or herself. I know I had problems w/a character and I caught the blues trying to make him into something he wasn't after talking to TL I decided to let the character be himself...needless to say I was able to finish the book successfully LOL! Thanks TL

What makes a character stand out to me is when the persona of that character in that book or short story is so magnetic and so strong that the story or the novel is not complete without them. It is the persona of the character that makes or breaks the story.

I have a dilemma... I am 100 words away from finishing the last installment and my main character stopped talking to me. It is NOT my fault that he has to die!

Somebody's not going down without a fight, eh?

LOL@ Keith - but that's not funny. It is a fight scene... even if he comes out 5 minutes and tells me what he wants to wear... that would help!

can someone fill me in i am new have no idea whats up

Just chatting about characters, what makes them work and not work whether we're writin' 'em or readin' 'em.

oh thats simple. i think when writers put to much emotion into a book it can go terribly wrong because you are mixing realty with fiction. but other times it really sticks with story and has a good vibe.

Yeah, you don't want to get stuck in a character's emotions and thoughts. Too many times I've read paragraph after paragraph of description on all the choices the character has before them and how Choice A will affect them this way but Choice B will affect them that way. The story just STOPS. Let the character simply act out and do what they want to do. The emotion will come through.