Spunky Characters & An Advance Notice

Monday, February 21, 2011

Have you ever thought about the kind of people who fill your stories and why you write the characters you do?  Do you favour:-

v        The wimpy kid who is bullied and beaten by circumstances and finds a saviour to defend him and change his circumstances?
v        The spunky and snarky kid who fights back and beats his challenges?
v        The helpless female who waits for a dashing knight to ride in and save the day?
v        The feisty heroine who takes charge of her situation and solves her problems, with a little help from our trusty hero, of course?

My characters come in a variety of ways:

v        Life experiences that make interesting tales
v        Putting down on paper what I like to read
v        Empathy for the underdog which brings a story to mind
v        Creating themes that will resonate with others

My themes centre on choices (right vs wrong), relationships, and family. The usual suspects in my tales of romantic suspense are females who, whether quietly or with a fuss, sort out their circumstances and give the bad guys hell.

In my young adult novels, the MC is someone who uses adult relatives and friends to chart a different path from the status quo.

Problem solvers are good people to write, so I champion them regularly.  Who are your favourite characters and why d’you think you write them?

 Now on to the advance notice...

Come March 1, 2011, I will be having a Take Five With… page where I speak to different authors about their books and their views on writing. Each writer will be giving away a book or other token to one follower who comments on their interview.  Stay tuned and be sure to check out Sybil Nelson, one of the hardest working writers I know.

23 comments:

  1. Interesting post, thank you. I take a lot of my characters from real life, although I may caracature a few. I love one of my heroines for her optimism and for seeing the good in everything and another for being permanently in a bad mood! I note down little quirks I see and hear around me to (hopefully) create a composite.

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  2. Julia, thanks for stopping in.

    Margo, the character who's always in a bad mood sounds interesting. Quirks are a good thing in fictional characters.

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  3. Looking forward to the interviews....
    I do tend to have a few kick butt heroines...and bad-boys....hmmm

    Swinging by to say hi from the blogfest, and following to make sure I don't miss anything good from here on out!!
    The Survival Mama

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  4. Hello fellow crusader! I'm a new follower! <3

    I like characters that are thrust into obstacles and regress and then grow from them. Like in real life. The character can be headstrong and rude, then is thoroughly humbled. He could be an assassin, then love softens his heart. Or a sex-crazed Rock Star who's tamed by a naive girl who doesn't know who he is.

    Great post! ;)

    ♥.•*¨ Elizabeth ¨*•.♥

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  5. Thanks for the visit, J.

    Elizabeth, I like your take on this. Characters should change and grow as their story progresses.

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  6. looking forward ot the interviews

    My fav characters are the strong ones.

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  7. I'm definitely a feisty heroine kinda gal.

    Thanks for stopping by my place, fellow Crusader :)

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  8. I love any character who fights for what they want! I'm excited about the upcoming "Take Five With..." post. Thank you for sharing!

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  9. That's really cool! I can't wait to read your series.

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  10. Hmmm, I'm not sure I favor any particular characters. I find them all sort of interesting for what they have to offer, but I'll have to think more about this.
    Looking forward to your interviews!

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  11. Linda and Sylvia, I too like characters who go after what they want and ensure they get it!

    Thanks, Clarissa.

    Cynthia, I guess I'm all about get-up-and-go characters. :)

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  12. I definitely like the feisty heroines, but I like them to have a soft spot for certain studly guys in their lives too :D

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  13. I see my own characters in many of the types and traits you listed.

    New follower and fellow crusader. Nice to meet you!

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  14. I'm looking forward to your author interview series. Should be interesting.

    Thanks for stopping by my place!

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  15. I build my characters from people I know or have known. I have favorites for sure...characters that do the right thing, have a sense of adventure and love their lives.

    I'm looking forward to your interviews. :)

    I like your new blog background. It may not be super new, but I've been out of town for a bit.

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  16. I think I tend to make feisty, strong heroines. I just hope they're not too clichéd!

    I look forward to your interviews.
    :)

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  17. I like my female characters to kick behinds, but to have a soft side as well. Feisty and strong with a male MC on the side to bring out the love :)

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  18. Nas, thanks for dropping in.

    Sharon, I too like characters that make good choices. I'm liking this background too.

    Lydia, feisty heroines are always a hit with me.

    Angela, nice combination for your heroines indeed.

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  19. Thanks, J. L., for following me.

    I think I like to write about spunky characters who take things into their own hands when they are faced with a mystery, or persevering characters who cope with difficulties and triumph.

    Looking forward to the coming interviews.

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  20. Thanks for the visit, Elizabeth. Lively characters make the best stories, in my opinion.

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  21. I like characters who have stuff to figure out. Normally they're an amalgamation of several people + their own selves.

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  22. Theresa,

    There's nothing like a little conflict to keep things moving right along. Thanks for the visit.

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Don't be shy, I'd love to hear what you think.