Hooded Eyelids and Other Character Flaws

Just like for each of us in real life, character flaws can define who a fictional character is, where they are coming from, and why they are behaving the way they behave.

In a former job, a coworker continually shared facial exercise techniques to decrease the hooded above-eye area. I, Miss Slow-on-the-Uptake, didn't realize, until I interrupted her one day so I could finish a project and she drilled me with the "look", that the hooded lids she targeted were mine. (I get the title Miss Slow-on-the-Uptake honestly.)

Looking back, I wonder why was the hoodedness of my eyelids such a priority to this person?

If her suggestions came from caring, perhaps she would have come in early to help relieve me of some of my tasks so that I wasn't so hoodedly exhausted. Or brought back lunch from her two- to three-hour lunch break. Maybe, when she left work at 4PM, she might have even offered to take some of my workload home with her so that exhaustion didn't weigh down my eyelids so much.

Now, if she were a consider-the-source type of person, her upper lids would have been toned to the max, right? All the facial excercises she encrouaged would have tightened and toned such things as jowls and chins, so she might have been sharing out of enthusiasm... Nah. No learning by example there.

The WAY she presented the techniques is telling. She demonstrated the techniques loudly, in an office environment, sometimes in front of several others. A put down? An inner-office joke? A my-upper-lids-are-more-toned-than-yours taunt?

After I left the job, an amazing thing happened. Those upper eyelid hoods receded more than a bit. And guess what, thanks to that former co-worker, I have personally demonstrated exercises to take care of the rest of potential drooping hoods.

Honestly, because of the way I was raised to treat people and respect people's personal issues, her showing me what was "wrong" with me did not even sink in initially. I would never, ever point out so-called deficiencies. For instance, openly demonstrating neck, chin, and lower cheek-lifting stretches. How cruel and wrong is that?

Yet, the me of today, more than likely, due to life experiences since then, might respond differently. Likely, I would say something, at least I would after the light bulb that I was being targeted when on (the old uptaker is still in the slow mode). Odd are I might speak up about the sharing the work load might just help with the hoods. OR I might quip that if I had time for a bathroom break, I might be able to make time to exercise my face.

Possibly after a 90-hour work week (yeah, I worked more than a few of those), I might be exhausted enough to tap into that edgy side of myself, you know that part of us that we all have the creeps out every now and then, and told her to go show someone who wasn't working and actually gave a crap.

Or I might ask if she practiced in a mirror. (A not in-her-face zing that more than likely would have zoomed over her head.)

Characters too, react differently depending on their belief systems, environments, and motivations. How one character might act at the beginning of the book, may differ from how they interact at the end. Depending on where they come from internally, Character A might very well tell someone off, while Character B might run away in tears.

In fiction, as in real life, not everyone is nice. Some people are helpful because they truly care, some have an agenda, some want put other characters in their place, while others want to cause harm.

Those character flaws that cause a character to point out hooded eyelids, for whatever reason, add depth to fictional characters. And as readers, the why of this exhibited flaw being revealed as the story unfolds adds richness, connection, and relatability (either with the particular character or with being treated in such a manner in real life.)

Please excuse me now, I'm off to exercise my face, with a focus on my upper eyelids.

(Wouldn't former co-worker be proud!)

Less Than Zero & More Than Anything

While on an awesome eleven-day road trip with hubby, where there was no cell signal or wifi for the majority of the getaway, we watched television only once during the entire time, during which I received a revealing lesson in characterization and the character growth arc.

Our TV time consisted of the 1987 movie Less Than Zero, featuring a brilliant performance by Robert Downey, Jr. as Julian. The synopsis for the movie is that the friendship of three affluent, nightclub-hopping Los Angeles youths is thrown into turmoil over Christmas break from college when one of them begins to spiral downwards from excessive cocaine abuse. (Please note, mild spoilers might exist below!)

In addition to phenomenal acting by Robert Downey, Jr., the movie presented an overview of what a writer might want to accomplish regarding character story arcs, which makes sense since the movie is based on a novel by Bret Easton Ellis. (Note, the plots of the movie and novel differ greatly.)

In the movie, Julian is a drug addict on self-destruct. In the process of his self-victimization and self-sabotage, he causes a great deal of hurt and harm to those around him.

The growth arcs of Julian's friend, Clay, is that he goes from an absentee friend to caring about and attempting to help Julian. Clay's romantic interest and Julian's enabler, Blair, goes from being a drug addict to giving up drugs and finding love with Clay.

Julian, however, is an out-of-control drug addict who will do anything for his next hit. His growth arc goes from in-it-for-fun drug addict to wanting to get clean and change his life, until the inevitable setback hits.

The characters go from being less than zero toward what they want more than anything during the duration of the movie. More than anything, these friends want to survive and for their friendship to survive, but as in real life . . . .

The story arc of Goal, Motivation and Conflict (GMC) includes:

• Goal: What does the character want more than anything.
• Motivation: Why do they want what they want (external and internal motivation).
• Conflict: What prevents them from getting what they want (external and motivation).

For instance, Clay's GMC in the Less Than Zero movie includes:

• Goal: To reconnect with Blair and Julian.
• Motivation: Current life is empty, Romantic interest in Julian, Misses them, Loneliness, etc.
• Conflict: Blair and Julian's drug use, drug scene, drug dealer, Julian's desperation, Frustration, Uncertainty, etc.

For Clay's Story Growth Arc, he goes from Disconnected Friend to Reluctant Enabler to Friend set on Intervention (Disconnected Friend > Reluctant Enabler > Interventionist Friend).

From less than zero to what we want more than anything -- awesome writerly and life lessons indeed.

Today I Cried

Today, I wrote a scene that was difficult because the action was emotionally painful to write. I wrote, finished the scene, then cried.

The scene was so discomforting that I wrote the scene in short stints. In between the writing, I took time out to breathe, to pace, to stretch out the tightening muscles in my neck. During the writing, I focused on the action and the character's heartfelt reactions to the action. For the character, the scene was both heart- and gut-wrenching. When I finished the scene, I was heartbroken and hurting because of the character's plight and the character's reactions to adversity.

My primary job as a writer is to evoke emotion in my readers. If my writing does not elicit emotion within me, how can I expect my readers to emotionally connect or engage with my characters or my story?

My character is in dire straights. He's in deep trouble. He's hurting, sad, scared, lonely and alone. He is a child who has been yanked away from his normal world, is in far over his head, and is suffering.

These are my characters, therefore, I care. Why should anyone else care about my character's plight?

As a writer, my job is to give the reader something and/or someone to care about, by combining:

• Purposeful action, which moves the story forward
• Stimulus and response scenarios that makes sense
• Showing, instead of telling
• Relatable, realistic plight, conflicts, and challenges
• Character true to traits and self
• Growth arc true to the character
• Story arc proceeds in line with character arc

This scene made me cry, from compassion toward and caring about the character. I connected with the character. Isn't connection what most of search for our entire lives? You Can Write a Novel by James V. Smith, Jr. discusses Participation. I, as a reader, want first and foremost to connect with and to participate emotionally and mentally in the story and the characters journey.

Today, I wrote and I cried.

Drama Belongs on the Page

Drama belongs on the page. Or the stage. Or in the movies. Not in my house or in my life. When I see others confuse and enmesh conflict and struggle with excitement and thrills, my standard response, just before excusing myself from the situation, is: "That's way too much drama for me."

As if drama were a moist, triple-chocolate cake with chocolate icing, some scarf drama down by shoveling it in with both hands, with each bite heaped on the last before the previous one can be swallowed.

Drama is draining. Drama is distraction. When reality hits, there's nothing exciting or thrilling about it, yet I see so many people feed on their and others on-going drama like pigs at a trough.

While the books I write contain fictional drama and conflict galore, I have no desire to slog through drama slop in real life.

I fully understand that experiencing some drama in life is unavoidable. Accidents happen. Others set things in motion that we have no control over. Oftentimes, like Harry Potter, we encounter a She or He Who Will Not Be Named in our lives (future blog post in the making) that for some reason targets us to intentionally cause harm and hurt in our lives.

For the most part, I do everything in my power to experience, create, and share positive excitement and thrills in my life, while avoiding the majority of unnecessary and unwanted drama served. Please know that I do care what goes on in the lives of those around me; however, for the sake of my own emotional balance and due to my desire to achieve personal goals in my life, I choose to respectfully bow out of participating in or listening to drama, drama, drama.

Getting Your Mad On (Sharing the Darkest of Emotions)

The final chapter of Book #1, Series #1, is filled with anger and grief. During the book, a five-year-old goes from a happy-go-lucky child to a willing destroyer, and in that last chapter, she destroys everything in sight.

Coming from a family where negative emotions were considered far too negative and were not to be experienced (don't cry, don't get angry, don't be upset), not pulling back from these emotions in order to share them is a challenge.

Reader's read for emotional connection. It's the primary job of the writer to make the reader feel. For writers, experiencing and facing dark emotions must proceed sharing those emotions. Bottom line, you can't share 'em if you don't feel 'em.

Fear, Anger, Hurt, Revenge, Grief, Vengeance, Hopelessness, etc., are all part of the real full-spectrum of human emotions, which includes these dark feelings despite attempts to ward them off by not living through them or acknowledging them.

When things happen, we experience the full range of emotions. Taking away the "dark" ones robs us of the ability to feel the "light" ones. (Sadly, we can't pick and choose between experiencing one type or the other.) So, we wind up with two choices: feeling or not feeling.

In the final chapter, the main character embraces her anger and grief, and get's her mad on, and when she does, bad things happen. Hmm, maybe in this case, warding off those emotions might have been a much better option, especially for those that get in her way.

Where Matters

A hand-in-hand drive near the beach or through the mountains wouldn't be anywhere near as romantic as traveling on a congested city freeway or an out-of-the-way swamp.

My current series is set primarily in the East Tennessee mountains. The mountain atmosphere and the mountain folk play a huge role in the feel, flavor and strength of the story.

While some stories might work well no matter the setting, others thrive within a specific location. Some locations are so strong and alive that they take on their own role as if they were a character in the story, such as the areas and mountains in Cold Mountain.

The air lacked its usual haze, and the view stretched on and on across rows of blue mountains, each paler than the last until the final ranks were indistinguishable from sky. (Excerpted from Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier.)

Oh yes, where matters.

Make Me Care! (From a Reader's POV)

Currently on my Kindle, I have the second of Ilsa J. Bick's trilogy, Shadows: The Ashes Trilogy, with Dean Koontz's Odd Apocalypse: An Odd Thomas Novel, next in line.

As an avid reader, in these series, both Bick and Koontz have made me care.

In the first book of Bick's trilogy, Ashes, I read about the main character who is dying and sets out to take her parent's ashes to what was their special place before she herself dies. Alex's journey of teenage angst is real, and so is her reaction to the world before, during and after the Apocalypse occurs. Book two promises more of Alex's struggle to survive in a world "where no one is safe and humans may be the worst of the monsters."

Koontz's Odd Thomas' series features a fry cook who is able to see ghosts. Odd Thomas has lost the woman he loved and has faced several natural and supernatural conflicts. Except for his paranormal abilities, he's a regular guy who suffers and still keeps on struggling to survive and to overcome, "as he takes on what may well be the most terrifying challenge yet in his curious career."

Both of these series feature fairly young protagonists (Alex is 17 and Odd is 20). Each are faced with every day, as well as extra-ordinary struggles. Each react in realistic ways to what's going on around them and to adversity.

Bottom line, I care about the characters, their journey, their struggle, their survival, their outcome.

Isn't that what all readers want, for the writer to make us care?

I'm looking forward to reading both books and will post reviews later on.

While I'm reading for enjoyment and entertainment, I will also be working to ferret out: Why do I care? What makes me care?

Boo Who?

At times in dark suspense, bad things happen to story people.

On occasion, really bad things. Sometimes it's a secondary character, at times a main character, even an antagonist is not exempt from being made to suffer.

How a character deals with these bad things (conflict) IS the story.

As a reader, even if it's the bad guy or gal, I relate to character's suffering and their attempt to overcome adversity.

Who undergoes the aforementioned bad stuff in most dark suspense and thriller books? No one is exempt. Anyone can become a target. Of fear, of harm, of whoever, or whatever, is on the prowl and out to get them.

Do you hear the shuffling on the front doorstep? The muffled bumps against the door? Are those scratches against wood?

Excuse me, I think I'll turn on the porch light, just to make sure there's a light on when darkness descends.

Happy Halloween!

Hope Springs - A Lesson in Subtlety

A dear friend and I enjoyed a girl's afternoon (most needed, well deserved. and much appreciated). We went to see the movie Hope Springs, featuring Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, and Steve Carell.

In Hope Springs, according to Yahoo movie description, "Kay and Arnold are a devoted couple, but decades of marriage have left Kay wanting to spice things up and reconnect with her husband. When she hears of a renowned couple's specialist in the small town of Great Hope Springs, she attempts to persuade her skeptical husband, a steadfast man of routine, to get on a plane for a week of marriage therapy. Just convincing the stubborn Arnold to go on the retreat is hard enough -- the real challenge for both of them comes as they shed their bedroom hang-ups and try to re-ignite the spark that caused them to fall for each other in the first place."

The acting is a brilliant presentation of subtlety. All three actors are are able to deliver the most minor facial expression and speech tones, yet the expression and tone carries an amazingly strong emotional impact.

For instance, the therapist (Steve Carell's character) might raise his brows and give half-smile and a slight tilt of his head, and he might ask questions in an inquisitive encouraging voice. Kay might give a weak smile or catch just the inner edge of her lower lip between her teeth, and might answer in a sigh-filled voice or with hesitant speech. Arnold might give a sharp look to the side or say something in a slightly dry tone, and your sympathy for Kay or the therapist, or both, is immediately aroused.

That's what I am striving for in my writing.

No flowing, overly descriptive purple prose, but using the fewest words possible to show precisely what needs to be shown.

Hope Springs. Great study of subtlety. Awesome movie. A must see!

Friday the 13th - Superstitious Much?

What if someone is ultra superstitious?

Wouldn't that person avoid stepping on cracks, walking under ladders, and crossing the paths of black cats? Does this person have a mental disorder (think Monk)? Has this person been raised to believe in superstitions? Does he or she behave any differently than if this were a mental disorder?

What if a family lives in a large house and turns on every light, inside and out, at twilight? Is the house actually a pretentious monstrosity or is someone who lives there deathly afraid of the dark? Does the family want to make sure that everyone sees who they are and what they possess or does one of the people who lives there sleep by night-light and have a flashlight tucked under their pillow?

What if someone believed the fortunes they received in their fortune cookies actually came true? Would he or she eat Chinese for lunch and dinner seven days a week? Or would they go once of month, to make their fortune especially fortuitous?

What would you do in situations like the ones above? What do you believe about superstition? What motives that belief, and how does that belief and motivation affect your actions and your behavior?

As a writer, my primary questions are: 1) What if? and 2) What would my CHARACTERS do?

It's Friday the 13th. I'm off to play "what if" with my characters. I wonder, are they superstitious much?

What's in Your Closet?(Creating Characters with Character)

Once I jot down basic information about my main characters, such as Age, Height, Weight, etc., (Cathy Yardley shared a short, concise worksheet with me, less than 2 pages, that drills down the basics of each character.) Thanks, Cathy!

After filling out the information on the character sheets, I know my characters fairly well. In addition to this basic information, which includes providing the Chronological happenings of the character's life, I added the following to help me get to know my story people even better.

What is his or her favorite saying or catch phrase?

What's under his or her bed?

What does his or her closet look like? What's in his or her closet?

What one secret item has the character hidden away for his or her eyes only? Where and why?

Up to this point, what is his or her most traumatic experience?

What's his or her happiest moments? What's his or her biggest accomplishment?

Just as these sort of things tell us about real world people, they reveal so much about the people that populate our stories.

So, why not ask your characters, what's in your closet?

Yesterday's Writing Results:

I wrote two short scenes yesterday (approximately 1,200 words).

If I'm going to write for a living, I need to be able to write as much as possible in as short a time as possible, so I'm experimenting with the location and conditions in which I write.