To each his own. This adage has never been truer in writing, and Xlibris author Jennifer Van Wie has done so by engaging her fictional characters in shaping her stories. Her book From Dust to Man was created with the help of what she calls her “imaginary friends.” In the process of bumping into these acquaintances, Jennifer has surely made herself a friend to readers who happened to have gotten their hands on her book.
The Xlibris Blog features one of Xlibris rising authors, her writing process, her novel, and more of her creative endeavors in the pipeline.
Characters Must be Allowed To Breathe Creatively
Writing your first novel is a bit like flying into an unknown relationship head over heels in love. At first you are inspired; you think your idea is marvelous and you can’t wait to start putting your thoughts to page. Like all relationships going through the honeymoon stage, you dive in and write like a mad person quick to develop your plot moving along and then you stop, ponder and back up. You soon learn that your characters need substance. A great plot with cardboard characters spells doom. This is the stage that you really get to know your characters which require you to take off those rose-colored glasses that have boosted the honeymoon period and really delve into not your world– but their realm. This is the stage your characters and your plot really grow three dimensionally because you see them as they are, warts and all.
Yes, we have strengths and we have flaws which makes real characters, whether protagonist, antagonist, or support. That means know how your characters would react with something as subtle as spinach stuck in between their teeth at a dinner party or what they would say if they were caught in a lie. You may create characters from people you know, famous people and certainly from yourself. Mold them like clay until you know what they look like, the accent of their voice, quirky habits they do, their politics, their religion, their philosophy, their values and how they relate with other characters. It’s a lot to think about right? Well, don’t think so much—just write, explore and with each new scenario, your characters will emerge. This isn’t a checklist like some writing workshops suggest. This is creating your own imaginary friends that of course no one can truly see and feel but you.
Jennifer reveals more of her literary journey in the second part of her blog.
Discover more featured Xlibris authors on the Xlibris Indie Authors Roundup and publish your book with ease by learning writing, editing, and book marketing tips from the Xlibris Writer’s Workshop.