Writing Advice - Post 1...Give Your Characters Life!!

I have just released the final book in my Paranormal Romance trilogy, and it's quite exciting. Many people ask me how I went about it - and how they would love to write their own books, but don't know where to begin...they don't have the gumption to get the story out of their heads and onto paper, or screen, in most cases.

So I've also decided to write a series of blog posts, in order to give advice to anyone who is struggling while teaching themselves the ropes, like I did. Ten months ago, I finished my first novel, and now I have 3 to show how well my hard work and dedication paid off. So, now it's time to give back.

The most important thing to remember - and I cannot stress this enough - make sure your characters have personalities. Make them three-dimensional. What I mean by that is, give them weaknesses, let them go through personal tragedies...make them REAL. This is what I began doing in my first novel, Surrogate, and the fans have been raving ever since.

They have fallen in love with Ana Elise and Jaiden, the first two characters I created in the series. Ana is sweet, sassy and fun, and fans have really connected with her. Jaiden, who is a bad-ass who's smart, sarcastic and feisty as hell, is one of fan's favorites, because we all want to be like her. But the reason my characters are the way that they are, is because of their childhoods, and I have written some killer backstories for them all. Ana was over-protected, which makes her very independent, not wanting anyone to try and manipulate her in any way. Jaiden, on the other hand, was a sexually abused child with an absentee heroin-addict for a mother, thus she takes no shit whatsoever. As I said before, fans adore these two besties, and begged for more upon completion of Surrogate itself. Quote: "Nooo!! You can't do this to us! We need these characters in our lives - please write another one!" were the comments I received on Facebook when I released Surrogate and stated that I was starting a Crime Drama next.

Thus, For Keeps: A Surrogate Novel, and Sentinel: A Surrogate Novel were borne. But every character in every book has a distinct and realistic persona all their own. Xavier, or "Zave" as his family and friends call him, is famous for being an all-around goof who loves to tease people, almost as much as he loves to eat. His line is, "I'm starving! Let's eat!" and it makes him utterly loveable. He is also genuinely kind and loves his family fiercely. Paul, Zave's best friend, is just an amazingly GOOD GUY, who would walk through fire for his family and friends, and for total strangers, for that matter. Fans adore Paul, because he is the epitome of Mr. Niceguy. So you see, each character is well-known for being a certain kind of person...and it makes them endearing to the readers. There are scores of other characters in these books, and they feel just as real as the four that I've mentioned.

 I was astounded just the other day by a writing article that gave Bella from Twilight as a prime example of a character with no warmth or depth, other than having "a boyfriend that sparkles." You know what? I can totally see their point. Other than the romance between she and Edward, I found no reason to be enamoured with Bella whatsoever. All she does is mope around, pre-Edward and post-Edward. She is as gloomy and washed out as the weather in Forks, Washington.

Your characters have to have passion for something - they have to either be going through a personal crisis, or ecstatic over a recent triumph. They need to have faults and weaknesses, and they most importantly need to speak like an everyday person would. Dialogue is one of the most important features of a good book. If the characters speak in a way that no real person ever would, they are not going to be believable, and they are most certainly not going to be likeable - much less loveable. Readers just cannot connect to characters that don't act or speak freely.

Dialogue is my claim to fame. When I'm writing, I listen to the characters having their conversation in my head, and I type it out exactly the way they say it, so it sounds very natural and genuine. Just imagine a person that you know saying the exact same sentence that your character is saying - how would they say it? More than likely, in a very casual or laid back sort of way...or, if angry, in a very pissed off sort of way - that's just the way I write my dialogue. It reads as genuine and sincere, and very much believable. This is why my characters make such an impression on readers - they feel like they're reading about a group of new friends they have just met and instantly taken a liking to.

So, in closing, if you follow these two steps from the beginning of your book, it will enhance the reader's experience exponentially. People who read, do so to be taken to another place or time. They want to FEEL what's going on in the character's lives...so SHOW, don't TELL. If it feels false or fake from the first page, they will see right through it, and move on to another selection. So, be wise, and give them characters that they can relate to, and who make them feel like they've just walked into a family member's home, warm and inviting. Make them laugh, make them cry, and most of all - make them want to read MORE!!

Until next time, I am A.H. Shelton, and I thank you for stopping by. :)

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