Tag Archives: Character

Stories from A Third World Country

Posted on by
Reply

Stories from A Third World Country

By Rory C. Keel

During a missionary trip to Nigeria, I observed a stark contrast in two different cultures.

On a street corner in the city of Aba, two young boys wrestled in the heat of battle. Each one flailed their arms, wielding tightened fists in order to land the most decisive and final blow. Words spewed from their lips with the intent to damage the mind and weaken the heart of the opponent. Each one kicked wildly, trying to topple the other in order to gain the advantage. An elderly gentleman slowly hobbled his way through the crowd that formed a circled arena around the two fighters. His Silver hair framed a face wrinkled by the frustrations of life and time. Bent at the shoulders, he steadied his feeble stride with a cane whittled from a branch that had fallen from a tree.

Raising the stick, he jabbed both boys to gain their attention as he yelled above the crowd, “Stop it! Stop this nonsense!”

At that moment, I became afraid for the old man.

In the American culture, this is the point where the cell phone videos of the old man poking the boys would be put on trial in the media. Newscasters on the hour, every hour, would instruct their listeners on what to believe about the situation. The parents of the boys, not knowing or uncaring about the location and activities of their children, would suddenly become violently concerned about an old man harming their sweet innocent children. Lawyers seeking riches or fame would immediately volunteer to file lawsuits on behalf of the boys. In America it would be the moment when the crowd would turn to heckle, mock and torment the one who had interrupted their gladiators. The two combatants would join forces, cursing with vile phrases to humiliate a new common enemy. They would claim self-defense and laugh as they struck him down in his feebleness.

I stood in this third world country located northeast of the Cameroon Mountains on the African continent, and watched with amazement as this event unfolded. The crowd immediately grew silent and stared at the two boys, who now glared directly into the eyes of the frail elder and said, “Yes, sir!”

And we want to Americanize everyone else!

Write interactions

What contrasts do you see in those around you? Take time to watch how people interact. Go to a mall, restaurant or park and observe different people, then write what you see and hear.

These differences will add depth to your characters.

Stuck

Posted on by
Reply

POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Stuck

By Nandy Ekle

Writer’s block. It’s almost as scary a word as “spider.” In fact I’ve used the image of a huge hairy spider to describe writer’s block.

This time I discovered an exercise to help cut a hole through the wall between me and my words. I wrote a little essay describing my plight.

“I’m looking through a window in a door and I see all the characters I ever wrote. They’re all frozen just like the commercial about digital photos that are never downloaded from the camera. Some are frozen in mid jump, some are frozen in mid dialogue, some are frozen in their tears. What a painful way to freeze. I see pleadings in their eyes, pleading me to set them free and let them live out their stories, but I am helpless.

Maybe that’s why this coldness is so frightening. I can’t do anything to help them. The words I have played with all my life are locked up in the toy cabinet across the hall and a huge spider guards them. I must find the key to get them back out!”

As soon as I finished the essay, I wrote a character sketch for my latest story. In doing so, I worked out the problems with the plot.

If you have a wall between you and your words, write something. It will break the wall, allowing your story to write itself.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

Heart

Posted on by
Reply

POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Heart

By Nandy Ekle

The heart, the center, the core, the theme, the main idea. This is a very important part of your story. The heart is what the story is about.

Look at anatomy. On the outside we see skin, hair, fingernails. But we don’t see what’s under the skin. We don’t see the bones, the muscles, or the blood in its vessels. But we can look at the skin and see the evidence of those deeper body parts. Our skin has a firm shape because of the bones under it and it’s warm and has a rosy color because of the blood being pumped by the heart through the blood vessels.

Our stories are the same. We talk about story layers all the time, and that’s another good analogy—the onion theory. On the topmost layer of the story you have what’s happening at the moment. The next layer might be what’s going on inside the characters’ heads, and there might be a layer of tension between the characters because of the relationship between them. You could even have a layer of discovery and healing when the relationships change. But the very center of the story, the heart, is what the whole thing is really all about.

The other definition of “heart” I want to talk about sort of fits parallel with this one. Heart equals feelings. One of the best ways to connect with your reader is with emotions. You have a main character that wants something so much they are willing to risk everything to get it. You want your reader to feel this yearning and hunger as much as the character. You want your reader to feel every struggle, every disappointment, every victory with your character. When that happens, the center layer of your story goes right into the reader’s heart and they learn the same lesson the character learns.

In my blog next week, we will look at ways to burrow down into a reader’s heart and make your story become their story.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

The End

Posted on by
Reply

POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

The End

By Nandy Ekle

 I need to end my story. I brought the character through the adventure, but at the critical point, she just froze in mid air. Now, a year later, I need to bring the whole thing together to end it.

I know a character has to want something. The whole point of a story is to illustrate a character pursuing a desire. They might want a relationship with a lover. They might want a new career. They might want safety, health, recognition, or even invisibility. And so they strike out on an adventure to get what they want.

The next element of a good story is something blocking their way. This problem could be in the form of a natural disaster, such as a tornado or hurricane. It could be another person, such as a wicked witch or an evil step-mother. Or the problem could be within the character herself. She might want the thing, but be afraid to get it or have a feeling of unworthiness.

Another element is the theme of the story. This is the general reason for the whole tale. The character goes through the adventure to learn a life lesson. This is the glue that holds the whole story together. Why does the character want to save her stale marriage? Maybe she tells herself she doesn’t want to lose the comfort of routine and join the ranks of single mothers. But maybe deep down inside she really loves her husband and wants his attention back on her.

So how does the story end? Your character will learn the lesson and either live happily ever after or be sadder but wiser.

And don’t forget the twist. In order to twist the end, you have to know a secret about your character and keep that secret until the very end. Our lady character above loves her husband and misses his attention. So her imagination goes on a rant and builds suspicion, convincing her his attentions are on another woman. He’s distracted, works long hours, smells like cigarettes when he gets home and goes directly to sleep. What she doesn’t know, and my readers don’t know (until the last page) is that her husband has developed superhero powers and spends his evenings fighting crime with a sidekick. Her marriage is saved, their love is renewed and the reader gets a fun little surprise as a reward for sticking with the character through her whole adventure.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

The Puzzle

Posted on by
Reply

POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

The Puzzle

 By Nandy Ekle

I took a walk through my hall of unfinished stories. My hand brushed along the half filled pages, fingertips touching each and every one. As I passed by a lonely little three-page rag, I noticed a sparkle from its eye. So I picked it up and read its words.

Three pages, around 1000 words. My character spoke so loudly I was mesmerized. I felt her loneliness and her growing neurosis. I could see her problem clearly. Goosebumps the size of watermelons grew on my arms and my scalp tingled. Then, at the bottom of page three, the whole thing came to an abrupt stop in the middle of a paragraph.

It’s been about a year since I wrote those three pages and several other stories have channeled themselves through me. I looked at the blank space at the bottom of the page and felt lost. Where was this going? What was my aim? The girl had shown me her problem, but the reason for the problem was gone, along with the ultimate outcome.

But I can’t scrap it. And so I will put on Doctor Freud’s hat and figure out the rest of the story. Number one – she definitely has a problem brewing. And I think I can see exactly what it is. Number two – why is this a problem? Well, because there’s something she wants. I need to remember what her greatest wish is. Number three – what will this desire cost her? Hhhmmm. A little trickier. I need to know her a little better to remember the things most important to her. Reading what I have a few more times will help me with that. Number four – can she achieve what she wants, and if she does, is it really what’s best for her?

As you can see, my work is cut out for me. My muse stands in the corner of my writing space staring at me like a stern math teacher waiting for me to work the equation and get the right answer. However I think I have enough to go on with my three pages, and maybe a few hints from my silent muse.

Congratulatios. You have just received a post card from the muse.

Stories from A Third World Country

Posted on by
Reply

Stories from A Third World Country

By Rory C. Keel

During a missionary trip to Nigeria, I observed a stark contrast in two different cultures.

On a street corner in the city of Aba, two young boys wrestled in the heat of battle. Each one flailed their arms, wielding tightened fists in order to land the most decisive and final blow. Words spewed from their lips with the intent to damage the mind and weaken the heart of the opponent. Each one kicked wildly, trying to topple the other in order to gain the advantage. An elderly gentleman slowly hobbled his way through the crowd that formed a circled arena around the two fighters. His Silver hair framed a face wrinkled by the frustrations of life and time. Bent at the shoulders, he steadied his feeble stride with a cane whittled from a branch that had fallen from a tree.

Raising the stick, he jabbed both boys to gain their attention as he yelled above the crowd, “Stop it! Stop this nonsense!”

At that moment, I became afraid for the old man.

In the American culture, this is the point where the cell phone videos of the old man poking the boys would be put on trial in the media. Newscasters on the hour, every hour, would instruct their listeners on what to believe about the situation. The parents of the boys, not knowing or uncaring about the location and activities of their children, would suddenly become violently concerned about an old man harming their sweet innocent children. Lawyers seeking riches or fame would immediately volunteer to file lawsuits on behalf of the boys. In America it would be the moment when the crowd would turn to heckle, mock and torment the one who had interrupted their gladiators. The two combatants would join forces, cursing with vile phrases to humiliate a new common enemy. They would claim self-defense and laugh as they struck him down in his feebleness.

I stood in this third world country located northeast of the Cameroon Mountains on the African continent, and watched with amazement as this event unfolded. The crowd immediately grew silent and stared at the two boys, who now glared directly into the eyes of the frail elder and said, “Yes, sir!”

And we want to Americanize everyone else!

Write interactions

What contrasts do you see in those around you? Take time to watch how people interact. Go to a mall, restaurant or park and observe different people, then write what you see and hear.

These differences will add depth to your characters.

Will There Be Blood

Posted on by
Reply

POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Will There Be Blood

By Nandy Ekle

Intense labor. Sweat pours out of my skin. My fingers fly as my character talks to me. A lot of work goes into writing a story.

Sometimes the work is putting my hands on the keyboard. Sometimes the work is typing it all before the story leaves. Sometimes the work is holding the idea while I get to a good writing place.

Today the idea that has been rolling in my head for two months grew legs and walked onto the page. I opened the computer, put my fingers on the keys and the character appeared on the screen. She spoke and told me her story and I wrote it exactly as she said it.

When I finish the story, more work waits for me. The proofreading, editing and polishing will begin. This is where the blood comes in. Cutting the unnecessary words from the manuscript is like surgery.

And yes, there will be blood.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

Atrayou and the Child Like Empress

Posted on by
1

POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Atrayou and the Child Like Empress

By Nandy Ekle

“You must contact an earthling child,” the child-like empress says.

“An earthling child? Where do I find one?” Atrayou asks.

“You can only find an earthling child beyond the boundaries of Fantasia.”

This is one of the themes of the movie, The Neverending Story, one of my favorite children’s storiess. The theme simply means that your character must reach out to the reader. And so, how do we do that? How does a character reach beyond the boundaries of the page?

One of the first things to consider is who is the earthling child you are trying to reach? If you write romance, your audience is probably female. So your main character should be female. If you write for children, your character should be a child. Your character should be identifiable with your readers. They should have a lot of things in common.

When you connect with your reader, they will follow your character through the whole story. This is the object of your writing, to get the earthling child to go on the adventure with the character.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

Pantsin’ It

Posted on by
Reply

POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Pantsin’ It

By Nandy Ekle

I have a cast of characters. I have a situation. I have a setting. I drop my characters with their situations into their setting and say, “Okay, go.” They begin to act and speak to each other and to me and the story appears.

I am a pantser, one who writes “by the seat of my pants.” Some of my best tales are those where I put my hands on the keyboard, or pick up a pen and paper, and just start to write. I usually have an opening sentence in mind, or at least an opening situation, and a vague idea of an ending. I try not to be too attached to an ending because I know that anything can happen.

And what usually does happen is magic. The zone comes down and blots out the rest of the world and I focus one hundred percent on the character. I see her face, her home, her clothes. I hear her voice and the way she speaks her words. I see through her eyes and feel everything she feels and hears. A lot of times I am as thrilled and surprised by the story as I hope my readers are.

The advantages to this are limitless. This brings an intimacy between me and my characters and I trust them when they want to go in a different direction from my plans. Also the story is more genuine than if I planned every single detail (intricate planning feels very clinical to me). My favorite aspect of “pantsing it” is the spontaneous fun and adventure I have when I write.

I had the story planned just the way it should have gone. I knew the theme of my story and I had the events in place to bring the characters to the ending I had planned. Everything was going like clockwork. As I type I watch the characters act and speak as I knew they would. Then, suddenly, one of them—the one I thought was neutral—turns to look at me with a glint in his eye. That’s when the true ending springs to life in my head. My skin prickles with goosebumps and my eyes tear up. I cry and giggle at the same time all day long.

That is why I write as a pantser.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

 

 

 

The Promise

Posted on by
Reply

POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

The Promise

He stood in front of me with a sad look on his blotchy teenaged face. He didn’t speak at all, but I could see in his eyes he had plenty to say. I held his hand and promised that I would get his idea out to the world; in return, he allowed me to torture him.

I wrote my new character’s story. The point of view was unconventional but effective. His words were deeply ingrained in the sequence of events I put him through. Happy with the outcome, I allowed my character to rest from his troubles and pushed the “submit” button. What came back to me was a disappointment. THEY didn’t want the story of my thwarted young man. His story didn’t fit their needs.

I immediately felt a stinging in my eyes. I had made a bargain: his promise to allow me to put him through the fire and my promise to get him to the public.

I opened my computer browser, did a search and found another public place to send my story.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

Nandy Ekle

 

Tag words: