The Active Versus the Passive Goal

More on the passive viewpoint character

I'm a great fan of Andre Norton, the incredible sf and fantasy author.

When I read Norton’s MERLIN'S MIRROR, I was so disappointed by the book I reread it to figure out why.

The character of Merlin has a mirror which tells him the future, and he has to make it happen. Through the whole novel, he does all kinds of active things but doesn't make the first important decision about his own life or what he wants to do. Instead, he's led along by that dang mirror. 

He is as passive, in many ways, as a character who is always reacting to others rather than charting his own course, and a passive main character means a boring book.

Being active as a character is as much about choices as it is about running around doing stuff to achieve a goal, particularly someone else's goal.

Links of Interest

WRITING AND TAXES:

http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/2013/08/writing-and-taxes.html

WARNING, FRAUDULENT PROMO AGENCY:

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2013/08/sandpiper-publicity-albee-agency-returns.html

WARNING, CROOKED PUBLISHERS (BALBOA PRESS, AUTHOR SOLUTIONS, SPECTACULAR PRODUCTIONS):

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2013/08/more-warnings-spectacular-productions.html

WRITING STRONG SUSPENSE:

http://howtoplanwriteanddevelopabook.blogspot.com/2013/08/writing-strong-suspense-difference.html

GETTING YOUR ROMANTIC CHARACTERS TO SPARK:

http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2013/09/02/getting-your-characters-to-spark-2/

USING LINKED IN AS PART OF YOUR AUTHOR PLATFORM:

http://tonyriches.blogspot.com/2013/09/building-your-author-platform-8-linkedin.html

8 ONLINE WRITING COMMUNITIES: 

http://socialmedia4writers.com/2013/08/16/8-great-online-writers-communities/

4 SIGNS YOUR NOVEL ISN’T READY FOR PUBLICATION:

http://avajae.blogspot.com/2013/07/4-signs-your-ms-isnt-ready.html

11 HELPFUL HINTS FOR COPYEDITING YOUR BOOK:

http://rebeccaberto.com/2013/08/23/eleven-helpful-tips-on-editing-your-own-writing/

BOOK MARKETING MISTAKES:

http://bestsellerlabs.com/the-book-marketing-maze-part-2/

PLACES TO FIND CRITIQUE PARTNERS ONLINE:

http://avajae.blogspot.com/2013/07/5-places-to-find-critique-partners.html

CREATING A KILLER PLOT TWIST:

http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/2013/07/5-ways-to-write-killer-plot-twist.html

CREATING TENSION:

http://rewriterewordrework.wordpress.com/2013/08/24/creating-tension/

USING A SMART PHONE AS A METAL DETECTOR:

http://forensics4fiction.com/2013/09/03/using-your-smart-phone-for-metal-detection/

CREATING TAGLINES:

http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/2013/09/tagline-appetizers.html

HOW TO FIND A HUNGRY AGENT:

http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2013/08/29/how-to-find-a-hungry-agent/

Stomp the Butterfly

Over the years as an English major, teacher, and volunteer usher for the local theater, I’ve seen and read more than my share of Tennessee Williams’ plays.  I’m not a big fan of “A Streetcar Named Desire.”  The play is about a fragile and delusional woman who is destroyed when those delusions are crushed, and she is raped by her brutal brother in law.

My primary dislike of the play is that Williams writes what I call a butterfly character.  Blanche DuBois flutters about the stage like a fragile and damaged butterfly through most of the play until brother-in-law Stanley squashes her.  She has no strength of character, no chance to win any victory against the destructive forces against her, and she puts up no real fight.  Just flutter, flutter, smash.  The end.  

This kind of character is as prevalent in novels.  I just finished a dark fantasy which had a woman who had genuine potential as a strong character and had a viewpoint, but she ended up as the squashed butterfly when the monster destroyed her.  Flutter, flutter, smash.  All that lost potential and a flat ending for her that only offered a brief moment of horror for the reader but little else.  

Even if a viewpoint character stands no chance against what she faces, she should at least try to survive or offer some struggle.  Otherwise, that character might as well be a nameless extra shrieking and running away from Godzilla.  

A passive viewpoint character is as bad for a book as passive writing.

Links of Interest

ONE WAY TO OUTLINE YOUR NOVEL:

http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/2013/08/outlining-story.html

CROOKED PUBLISHER WARNING (ICONIC PUBLISHING, JONQUIL PRESS, RED LIZARD PRESS):  

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2013/08/publisher-alert-iconic-publishing.html

WHY A VILLAIN IS LIKE A HERO:

http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-question-of-villainy.html

MAINTAINING YOUR SETTING THROUGHOUT THE STORY:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2010/07/setting-up-and-winding-down.html

YET MORE PUBLISHER WARNINGS, MAINLY SMALL PRESS:

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2013/08/more-publisher-storm-warnings.html

UNDERSTANDING ROYALTY STATEMENTS:

http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2013/08/20/the-importance-of-educating-yourself-royalty-statements-part-1/

MARKETS, SHORT STORY AND NOVEL:

http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2013/08/sub-ops-ten.html

WHY THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS ARE SO IMPORTANT AND HOW TO MAKE THEM WORK TO ATTRACT READERS, ETC.

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2013/08/question-from-writer-importance-of.html

DOES YOUR STORY NEED A PROLOGUE?

http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2013/08/does-your-story-need-prologue.html

STRUCTURING A GREAT CLIMAX:

http://www.lbgale.com/2013/08/27/guest-post-how-to-structure-a-whammy-of-a-climax/

USING SMALL OR COMMON CHARACTER ACTIONS TO DEEPEN CHARACTER:

http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2013/08/28/small-actions-deeper-character-better-scenes/

The Cast of Thousands Syndrome

Have you ever been at a party or professional event where you have met a small group of the attendees some time back so you barely remember them, and there are dozens of other people attending as well?

You stood there with a glazed look in your eyes as you struggled to remember the names and relationships of the people you've already met while even more people are introduced to you, and you have to figure out how these people fit in with the first group.

A nightmare, wasn't it?

Yet many writers forget how hard it is to keep up with characters in a novel. They insist on starting the novel with a group scene in which all the heroine's coworkers are introduced. Each character enters the scene, does a little song and dance so you have some idea of who they are, then the next one enters and does the same thing. By the fourth or fifth character, the reader is in shell shock if she's still reading.

Then, the novel opens up, and even more characters are introduced.

Other writers of series, particularly paranormal romance series, have an ongoing group of characters--usually the happily married heroes and heroines of past novels who have to have a cameo or minor role--as well as the new hero and heroine to include with their short term bad guys and minor characters, but, wait, the author really wants you to meet the half a dozen new hunks waiting for their own novels, heroines, and happily-ever-after as well as the bad guys waiting in the wings for their comeuppance.

Some readers can keep up with all these people, but most of us can't. Many of us reach a point where there's so much character clutter we can't connect with the major characters and the main plot so we close the book and vow never to read another of them.

How do you escape this cast of thousands syndrome?

First, you must realize that while you spend many months with these characters and know them very well, the reader won't.

Keep the introductions to a very few at a time. Secondary characters should only be introduced when they are needed in the plot. Those officemates of the heroine may play big parts in later books, but only the wacky receptionist who will introduce the heroine to her new love interest and play clumsy matchmaker will be needed in this book so only she should be introduced.

As great as the other characters are and no matter how eager you are to introduce them, don't.

If you have characters from other books, don't bring them back unless they serve a specific plot purpose.

If you have new characters for the next book in the series, don't put them in unless they serve a very specific plot purpose.

If you are lucky enough to have readers wanting to know how Lance and Patty from your first book are doing and whether their baby has been born, you can write a short story or novella about them as a freebie on your website. Fans love that.

Many of us don't love the author tossing these former characters into the current novel with no other reason than to please a few fans.

Links of Interest

THE PROBLEMS OF A SECOND BOOK IN A SERIES OR TRILOGY:

http://deborahjross.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-middle-book-of-trilogy.html

ACTIVITIES FOR THE RELUCTANT PROMOTER:

http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/2013/08/release-activities-for-reluctant.html

HOW TO PROOF YOUR BOOK LIKE A PRO:

http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2013/08/life-and-death-proofreading-your-novel.html

THE SEVEN STEPS OF PROOF READING:

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/7-proofreading-steps/

USING CLIFFHANGERS FAIRLY IN YOUNG ADULT FICTION:

http://howtowriteshop.loridevoti.com/2013/08/young-adult-fiction-and-the-cliffhanger

CREATING THE PERFECT PEN NAME:

http://writerunboxed.com/2013/08/17/how-to-create-your-perfect-pen-name

15 PLACES TO PROMOTE YOUR BOOK FOR FREE:

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/15-places-to-promote-your-book-for-free_b76294

SCREENWRITER’S SCHOLARSHIP:

http://www.nbcunicareers.com/universal-pictures’-emerging-writers-fellowship

MIDDLE GRADE WRITING ADVICE:

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/middle-grade-writing-advice-from-peter-lerangis_b75361

23 AGENT QUERIES THAT WORKED:

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/23-literary-agent-query-letters-that-worked_b76306

TEN THINGS NEWER WRITERS SHOULD KNOW:

http://www.missourireview.com/tmr-blog/2013/08/10-things-emerging-writers-need-to-learn/

22 RULES OF STORYTELLING:

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/07/16/22-rules-of-storytelling/

YET ANOTHER WARNING ABOUT WHY YOU SHOULDN’T WRITE FOR SUVUDU UNIVERSE:

http://www.staffersbookreview.com/2013/08/suvudu-universe-hai-can-i-haz-ur-stuffz.html

5 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWS YOU SHOULD KNOW IF YOU BLOG:

http://www.problogger.net/archives/2013/08/16/5-intellectual-property-laws-about-the-internet-bloggers-need-to-know/

10 WAYS PLOT STRUCTURE INFLUENCES CHARACTER ARCS:

http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/2013/08/10-ways-plot-structure-influences.html

HOW TO AVOID INFO DUMPING:

http://riyria.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-to-avoid-nasty-thoughts.html

Characters' Emotional Reaction in Action Scenes

The viewpoint character's emotions and senses must be as much at play in a fight or action scene as his body and weapons. 

I make a special effort to include all the senses in my descriptions. What does he hear? See? Smell? Taste? Feel?

How do he react to killing someone? The death of a friend?

Adding emotion isn't an either/or situation. It's just as vital to add emotional layers to the physical action as it is to have brief moments of introspection when the battle isn't going on.

Characterization also isn't just introspection. It's characters interacting with each other and revealing themselves in bits and pieces.

Your band of adventurers may not sit around "sharing their feelings" in touchie-feelie moments like a Dr. Phil show, but they've been around each other enough to know that one hates the bad guys because they murdered his wife and kids, and he's liable to attack without thought and ruin their surprise attack.

He may be clutching the sword at his side, his other hand opening and closing in nervous energy, and another adventurer may warn him to relax and may mention the wife and kiddies.

The image of his wife's raped and brutalized body could flash through his mind, and he fights his raw anger and lust to kill. That won't slow the action down like having a long interior flashback of him finding his family's bodies, and his vow of revenge. Instead, it adds to the excitement of the coming action because the reader now questions whether this guy will lose his cool and get everyone killed.

An even better way to present this information is to put it in an earlier scene that isn't action intensive so the reader will know the details and will only need a slight reminder of this character's motivation and tendency to attack without thought.

Remember, though, that a character's emotions are meant to increase the intensity of the scene, not slow it down or mar its pacing.