Creating a Character's Physical Actions

When I write physical fights like a sword battle, I picture the fight like it's a movie. I see what each character is doing and what is happening around them.

I also get up from the computer and pretend I'm holding a sword, imagine the opponent's move, and block it noting my balance, what I'm leaving open, and the possible return blow. 

To vary the fighting, I use the physical location of the hero. The floor may be bloody from his first opponent so the hero or villain may slip and fail to parry a blow, etc. If more than one good guy is fighting, the fighters may affect each other as an enemy steps into the hero's range, or he falls beside him. 

I rarely write out blow for blow because I think that's boring. Instead, I'll give occasional overviews of what's happening while staying in the character's viewpoint. For example, the hero is thinking about how his body is learning the rhythm of the fight, or he's aware of other fighters around him.

I try to avoid using technical terms to describe the fight because I'm writing as much for those unfamiliar with swordplay as those who are, but I try to be accurate about how to use the weapon, and I use a sprinkling of correct terminology to make it seem more realistic. 

I've never fought with a sword, but I've held a number in my hand, and I've watched others fight with them. I try to remember the weight of the weapon, the sound a fighter makes as he swings the heavy sword, and the sheer weariness of the weight of fighting something or someone above you. 

I also include different senses in the description. What is the character hearing? Feeling? Smelling? Tasting? 

This method also works with fist fights and other man to man combat.

What Christmas Songs Can Teach Writers

"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch."  The only character greater than a villain is a villain who is redeemed.

"Oh, Holy Night"  A powerful story is often best told simply.

"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"  Sometimes, something innocent can become creepy.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas"  A one-sided romantic relationship is boring.

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"  The underdog with a reviled talent makes a great hero.  

"Frosty the Snowman"  A great character often deserves a sequel.  ("I'll be back again, some day." ) 

"Carol of the Bells"  Driving rhythm can pull the reader forward.  

"Do You Hear What I Hear?"  You can tell a story through dialogue.

"Silent Night"  A few simple images can create powerful emotions.

"The Christmas Song"  ("Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…." )  Setting alone can show strong emotion and story.

"Good King Wenceslas"  Sometimes, a character is remembered more for kindness than power or glory.

"I'll Be Home For Christmas"  Home and family are two of the most powerful goals within the human heart.  

"Baby, It's Cold Outside."  "This is for your good, not mine," is a great seduction.

"Jingle Bells" and "Jingle Bell Rock"  The times and tempo may change, but the story remains the same.  

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"  Sometimes, the character's emotions and the message aren't the same.  

"Santa Baby"  With the right voice, even Santa and a chimney can be made into a double entendre.  

“All I Want for Christmas Is You.”  Love is the greatest gift.  

Happy Holidays, everyone.

                    Marilynn

SCHEDULE NOTE:  Because Christmas falls on Wednesday, I'm not posting "Links of Interest."  I will follow my regular schedule next week.

Links of Interest

THE TOOLS NEEDED TO MAKE A BELIEVABLE SCIENCE FICTION WORLD:

http://amazingstoriesmag.com/2013/12/art-science-world-building-tools-need-make-believable-world/

CHARACTERS UNDER PRESSURE SHOW THEIR TRUE SELVES:

http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2013/12/choices-and-crises-show-true-character.html

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR COPYRIGHT (READ THE COMMENTS SECTION, TOO):

http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2013/12/13/do-you-know-your-copy-rights/

ESCALATING THE CONFLICT AND STAKES:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2013/12/the-one-two-punch-creating-conflict-and.html

CROWDFUNDED ANTHOLOGIES CONCERNS FOR AUTHORS:

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2013/12/crowdfunded-anthologies-concerns-for.html

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PUBLICIST AND A MARKETER:

http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2013/12/16/ask-alex-publicist-vs-marketer/

SETTING UP THE TENSION IN YOUR NOVEL:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2010/04/setting-up-tension.html

TRANSITIONS:

http://writerunboxed.com/2013/12/17/meanwhile-back-at-the-ranch

A PROLOGUE THAT’S DONE CORRECTLY::

http://writershelpingwriters.net/2013/12/prologue-done-right/

USING SHORT PREQUELS TO BUILD BUZZ FOR BOOKS:

http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2013/12/16/prequels-build-buzz/

WHY DESCRIPTIONS WORK AND DON’T WORK:

http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2013/12/is-your-book-christmas-sweater.html

YOU NEED TO FIND EMPATHY FOR YOUR CHARACTERS:

http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/2013/12/creating-character-empathy-part-one.html

The Moral Core of Genre

One of the primary hallmarks of genre fiction is its moral core. The characters and their choices may be morally gray rather than the white and black of good and evil, but the reader expects that good will eventually triumph. The good guys will gain some victory, and the darkness will be banished. 

If the author fails to deliver on this promise of light over darkness, she fails a fundamental promise to the reader.

In the same way, the major character or characters must have a moral core that helps them recognize the right choices and gives them the strength to follow through, whatever the cost, to reach that triumph over darkness. 

Happiness can never be gained without a struggle against the forces of darkness. The darkness may be a black-hearted villain, but its most important manifestation is within the main character who must fight her inner darkness with that moral core. 

Sometimes, if the main character is an antihero or shallow chick-lit heroine, the struggle will involve a great deal of protests, whining, and foot-dragging to reach that point, but that point is reached. 

Betsy, the Queen of the Vampires, in the MaryJanice Davidson series, is a perfect example of this kind of character. Shallow, shoe-absorbed, and selfish, she whines her way through each book, but her inner moral core always leads her to do the right thing in the end.

If Betsy never did the right thing, this series wouldn't be the success it is because shallowness won't hold a reader's attention or their emotions for very long. 

Sometimes, in a series, a character will change from evil to good, or good to evil, but that change must be foreshadowed in earlier choices and decisions. Bart the Bad may be up to no good through the early novels, but the reader should see that he chooses not to ambush the hero because a child is nearby. This not only adds moral complexity to Bart, but also makes his move toward the light more believable. 

In the same way, a good guy's pragmatic or selfish choices will foreshadow the coming darkness.

Links of Interest

LINKS TO VARIOUS PROMOTION ARTICLES:

http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2013/12/blog-carnival-marketing-tips-for.html

SEVEN TIPS FOR DESIGNING AUTHOR NEWSLETTERS:

http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2013/12/06/7-tips-to-design-an-effective-newsletter/

22 RULES OF STORYTELLING BY THE CREATORS OF Toy Story, Wall-ee, AND OTHER HITS:  

http://io9.com/5916970/the-22-rules-of-storytelling-according-to-pixar

LIST OF LINKS ABOUT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:

http://writershelpingwriters.net/2013/12/2129/

BOOK DISTRIBUTION, PRINT ON DEMAND:

http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2013/12/understanding-book-distribution-part-4.html

CHARACTER HOOKS:

http://www.livewritethrive.com/2013/12/09/positive-attributes-the-way-to-a-readers-heart/

FOUR TRUTHS FOR SELF-PUBS:

http://writetodone.com/4-truths-self-publishing-can-actually-believe/

LAYERING CONFLICT:

http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2013/12/layering-conflict.html

TIPS ON WRITING FIRST PERSON:

http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/2013/12/tips-to-dissolve-quirks-in-writing.html

DESCRIBING CHARACTERS:

http://writershelpingwriters.net/2013/12/character-descriptions-learn-pros/

A SHAKESPEAREAN INSULT CHART, ONE FROM COLUMN 1, ETC.:

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2013/12/some-fun-for-wednesday-insults-for.html

20 RESOURCES FOR CREATING AN EBOOK (FORMATTING, ETC.):

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/work/20-free-resources-create-simple-ebook.html

Why Authors Reinvent Themselves

QUESTION: In a recent interview, a famous author said that she has reinvented herself (changed what she wrote) three times. Why did she do this?

Almost everyone who writes long enough for the NY conglomerate publishers has to reinvent themselves or leave publishing.

Markets die. For example, when the historical romance market faded drastically some years back, many of its writers started writing contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and romantic suspense.

Publishers die or drop lines, and some authors are trapped in contracts that won't allow them to move their successful series to another publisher or write anything in direct competition to their series so they have to make a major change in direction with a new and very different series.

Selling numbers can fall to a point that no publisher wants her books so the author has to start over with a new name.

Authors change. One successful paranormal romance author lost her young child, and she left PNR and started writing inspirationals.

Some authors get bored.

Other authors are trend whores (their term) who change with the shifting popularity of types of books.

The danger with the constant shift in types of books is that you lose fans every time you make a shift, and you have to work extra hard at marketing yourself to a new group of people.

The most successful way to reinvent yourself is to build a brand with a certain type of books, write at least six, then start a second series or type of book that shares many of the same readers. Then you publish at least one book of each type every year. A good example of this is Jim Butcher with his urban fantasy DRESDEN FILES and his traditional fantasy series.

Links of Interest

WRITING FANTASY FIGHT SCENES:

http://fantasy-faction.com/2013/writing-combat-in-fantasy-top-ten-tips

BEWARE OF VANITY RADIO WANTING YOUR PROMO DOLLARS:

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2013/11/dont-fall-for-vanity-radio.html

THE NEW ADULT MARKET:

http://writerunboxed.com/2013/11/27/no-limits-the-emerging-new-adult-market

TWO VERY SMART RULES OF WORLDBUILDING:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2013/11/guest-author-tl-bodine-two-rules-for.html

HOW TO SPOTLIGHT IMPORTANT PROSE/INFORMATION:

http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-spotlight-important-prose.html

MYSTERY AND CRIME LINKS:

http://writersforensicsblog.wordpress.com/2013/11/29/crime-science-radio-david-corbett-private-investigators-who-are-these-guys

IS THAT FIRST BOOK THE START OF A SERIES?

http://writerunboxed.com/2013/12/01/practical-tips-for-writing-a-series/

DYNAMIC DESCRIPTIONS:

http://writetodone.com/how-to-write-better-descriptions/

REVISITING YOUR PROFESSIONAL GOALS:

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2013/12/every-now-and-then-revisit-your-goals.html

NEW CAMERA SHOWS BLOODSTAINS AND DATES IT:

http://writersforensicsblog.wordpress.com/2013/12/02/bloodstain-camera-finds-blood-quickly-and-efficiently

WAYS TO GIVE YOUR SCENES MORE DEPTH:

http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2013/12/for-maximum-reader-engagement-make-your.html

THE CORE OF CHARACTER MOTIVATION:

http://www.livewritethrive.com/2013/12/02/getting-to-the-core-of-character-motivation/

RESOLVING AMAZON KEYWORD ISSUES:

http://www.amarketingexpert.com/author-alert-resolving-amazon-keyword-issue/

KEEPING A COZY SERIES MOVING:

http://terryodell.com/terrysplace/?p=4068

HOW TO PRE-PLOT A SERIES:

http://plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-pre-plot-series.html

10 WAYS YOU MAY BE RUINING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE:

http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/2013/12/social-media-tuesday-write-conversation.html

PUBLISHER SCAM, ALL CLASSIC BOOKS:

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2013/12/all-classic-books-scam-continues.html

WHY FIRST PERSON IS HARDER TO WRITE THAN THIRD:

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2013/12/why-i-dont-like-first-person-stories.html

USING QUIRKS TO REVEAL PERSONALITY:

http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/2013/12/character-building-using-quirks-to.html

Can You Say That in Elf?

QUESTION: I have several scenes where a man is around elves. I don't want to invent my own language, and I'm afraid to use Tolkien's elf language. What can I do?

You're right to avoid using Tolkien's language. I doubt Tolkien's estate would be too pleased about that.

The simplest way to write the scene without inserting the language is to use the viewpoint of someone who doesn't know the language. You can then write something like--

Adam listened to the two elves talking to each other. Their language sounded like the wind in dry oak leaves mixed with babbling creek water. 

Finally the elf who could speak English said, "Our king says we will not help you."

Or you can have the scene from the viewpoint of the elf who speaks English.

The king said in their own language, "I do not trust these humans. Tell them that I will not help them find passage through our mountains."

Mossbark nodded and said in English to the humans, "Our king will not help you."

These tips works with any language.