tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post7173931644442835692..comments2024-03-23T02:45:17.058-04:00Comments on Tales of Goldstone Wood: Friday TidbitsAnne Elisabeth Stenglhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09462605949792523331noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-42011867966175144552013-03-12T20:41:36.157-04:002013-03-12T20:41:36.157-04:00Janice Hardy posted something similar last week. S...Janice Hardy posted something similar last week. She listed three questions designed to get to the heart of a story: what does this character want? why does it matter? how will his life change forever?<br /><br />QueryShark lists another trifecta: what does he want? what prevents him from achieving his goal? what does he do to overcome the obstacles?<br /><br />I'm deeply curious about your next tidbit, Anne!Rachel6https://www.blogger.com/profile/15138745237488029817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-40071286022651961942013-03-10T12:39:39.331-04:002013-03-10T12:39:39.331-04:00Me too Hannah! =)Me too Hannah! =)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10170862622935004966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-73590840197214392452013-03-10T11:44:29.804-04:002013-03-10T11:44:29.804-04:00Wonderful advice, Anne Elisabeth! I always find ch...Wonderful advice, Anne Elisabeth! I always find characters with interesting goals a lot more fun to learn about. :)<br /><br />-BekaAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13171567731644896572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-57574445967304086562013-03-09T14:29:22.125-05:002013-03-09T14:29:22.125-05:00WooHoo! I'm so happy to see you in Goldstone W...WooHoo! I'm so happy to see you in Goldstone Wood, Hannah Halsey!Hannahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15674350834544871474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-9402322990670559762013-03-09T11:37:34.823-05:002013-03-09T11:37:34.823-05:00This was incredibly helpful...I have several such ...This was incredibly helpful...I have several such characters or ideas that need a direction and now I think I can give them one!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10170862622935004966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-27116556348194912312013-03-09T10:28:23.054-05:002013-03-09T10:28:23.054-05:00I'm glad you'll be doing Victoria's qu...I'm glad you'll be doing Victoria's question because I've been wondering about something like that recently...Mollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14814840750991556084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-86898978957015432432013-03-08T23:22:04.286-05:002013-03-08T23:22:04.286-05:00Thanks so much Anne Elisabeth for another Friday T...Thanks so much Anne Elisabeth for another Friday Tidbit! It's really great being able to glean information from someone who has been writing for so long. Each Friday Tidbit helps encourage and grow my own writing abilities and provides me with thought provoking information I can apply to my own novel. God Bless, JoyannaJoyannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09946805848296996064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-54686745451544674262013-03-08T19:09:49.705-05:002013-03-08T19:09:49.705-05:00That is such a good question, Victoria, I'm go...That is such a good question, Victoria, I'm going to make it the topic of next week's Friday Tidbit! Stay tuned . . . ;)Anne Elisabeth Stenglhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09462605949792523331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-49064128373814013912013-03-08T17:45:44.751-05:002013-03-08T17:45:44.751-05:00Thanks so much for yet another wonderful Friday Ti...Thanks so much for yet another wonderful Friday Tidbit! :) I do have a question, though. Sometimes my characters' desires end up lining up with mine somewhat, which seems only natural. But how do I know if I'm simply relating to my heroine or if she's becoming a Mary Sue?Victoriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11130221320628442331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-27541218267670240362013-03-08T16:42:22.138-05:002013-03-08T16:42:22.138-05:00The best characters of any story, made and unmade,...The best characters of any story, made and unmade, are those whose heart we see the most. A character without heart is not a character, it's a portrait.<br /><br />In favorite tales as well as in my own writing, my favorite characters are not often the view point characters-something I am working on in my own stories, to make the MC more loveable. <br /><br />But when I do find out the desires and the emotions which drive that character, they become fascinating and the story builds around them. Whether these emtions and desires are things like love and family, or greed and malice, or guilt and fear, they are what drives the character to do what they do, and gives us a plot we can work with. You can bounce these two things around: the goals (or desires) of the character, and the emotions of the character, to build up the other. These things should be paired, and from them can branch all the creative twists in plot and the history of the character.<br /><br />As a help to someone who doesn't know how to give their character goals or go deeper on an emotional level, but knows many facts about that character, I would say: start building backstory. A character with a history is a character who has their own set of dreams and desires. <br /><br />The more conflict you can place in the backstory, the better a 'springboard' you create from which to bounce off the emotional values of that character and the things they want most. (Sorry. Long comment there...)Kay J. Fieldshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12305147533739305929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-2771160043287595662013-03-08T13:01:05.362-05:002013-03-08T13:01:05.362-05:00What a wonderful post! I love the helpful advice. ...What a wonderful post! I love the helpful advice. I've noticed that I care very little about a character's physical appearance, but I love learning about their motivations and actions. Take care, and I hope that you have a wonderful weekend. God bless.Meredithnoreply@blogger.com