Thursday 19 May 2016

My Problem Character...

Sometimes I find getting into the mind of my characters easy, at other times it can be problematic.

In my second draft I have some gaps to fill, and Hannah is one of the problematic gaps.

She arrived in the last chapter of draft one as if she had always been around; she and my heroine know each other quite well, but looking back, nowhere in the first draft had there been any hint this young woman existed...

That was when I realised that she would actually fill a necessary role that was one of the gaps I had.

She has the confidante role. But she'll also be a means of passing information on where appropriate.

Seeing the light?
At the moment I'm still learning about her, and her way of speaking is starting to emerge more clearly than in her first few lines.

I know she's a year or two older than my heroine, and has had a little more experience of the world, so that will prove insightful later- there's a completely new scene in my mind (for much further on in the draft) where Hannah will be doing a little manipulation- for the best of reasons of course. :D

Unlike my other characters I don't yet have a bio for her. That's usually when I find out all those useful snippets of information lurking in the recesses of my mind.

Perhaps that will get through her protective shell.

Onward with the never-ending mystery of the supporting cast...






9 comments:

Teresa Ashby said...

I love reading about you getting to know your characters, Carol and I think it's wonderful when one appears from nowhere before you even realise you need them :-) xx

Stephanie Faris said...

I, too, tend to learn about my characters as they appear. I can't imagine sitting down and plotting everything out with bios and all, but I wish I could do that. I have to put them on the page and see what happens!

Rosemary Gemmell said...

Hannah sounds like a valuable character to have, Carol - isn't it great when they walk into the story like that!

Carolb said...

I've found that a lot of my character construction goes on in the background without me really being aware of it, Teresa, except for the occasional thought. :-)

Carolb said...

I do find that I discover more about my main characters as I'm writing, Stephanie, but each bio that I write at the start, seems to act as a template which is adapted as I discover more.

And writing them out allows me to clear my head for new developments. :-)

Carolb said...

I'm always surprised by moments like this, Rosemary. But I'm sure all writers do these things, just not necessarily in the same way. :-)

liz young said...

I'm sure you'll get to know her in the end, Carol - just make sure she doesn't take over the book! ps - I think she should be 'confidante' with an E.

Carolb said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Carolb said...

No, she won't take over as she's been given an essential role which only requires occasional but vital appearances.

Yes, you're right, Lizy, an 'e' on the end for the feminine version. That will teach me to read the whole of the dictionary's explanation, and not just take the first version. :)

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