Which Comes First? The Story or The Character?

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

A recent session at Faber, Kidnapping A Character, brought up a very interesting question.

Most writers have their own way of working. They either start with a story idea, then make up characters to fit it. Or they start with a character and then make up a story that fits.

Personally, I’ve done it both ways, and I can’t really say which one I prefer.

But I’ve never tried the method where you come up with 2 totally unrelated characters and write a scene where they meet. It was amazing to hear the interesting stories that had started to develop from 2 complete strangers having a chance meeting (during a 20 minute writing session). It’s definitely a technique I will be trying out again in the future.

courtesy of jscreations/freedigitalphotos

Like most things in writing there is no right or wrong way to do things, but out of curiosity which do you start with?

I’m a pantser. (smpauthors.wordpress.com)
Where to Get Story Ideas (shelleywidhalm.wordpress.com)
Facing your character(s)… (diedreblake.wordpress.com)
Know Your Character (thewearywriter.com)
Writing Character: Challenge of the Character Most Like Yourself – Part 1 (elissafield.wordpress.com)

Faber Session 3 – Kidnapping A Character (or permission to stalk)

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

I never thought when I arrived at class this morning that I’d be asked to do some stalking lol

The ground floor Faber hallway.

But that’s exactly what Tim asked us to do today. We had an hour and a half this morning to go out, find a character (somebody we found interesting), and follow them. We had to make notes on their clothing, the way they walked, talked (which meant if we had to resort to asking them directions so be it!), what they looked like…. Everything we could possibly observe about them, to build up a picture.

I found a guy in the British Museum who walked in a very distinctive way. I followed him and his family around the museum, out to a book shop, and then through the streets until he got into a taxi. I learnt his name, who the other members of the family were, plus got most of the physical details Tim was looking for.

When we got back to Faber everyone admitted they had initially been apprehensive about the task, but most of us had loved it. It was really good fun! One girl even got on a tube to follow her character! There’s dedication!

Tims advice had been “try not to get busted” ha ha ha! And there was me wearing a bight red coat! Lol. I’m sure my guy was thinking “why is that woman in the red coat everywhere I go?” 😉

My classroom

The afternoon was spent doing work on our characters, including pairing up and creating scenes where our characters met for the first time.

So I had a good day, which included Sushi from Wasabi mmmmmmmm 🙂

Back home relaxing now….I’m shattered 🙂

I just can’t wait to go stalking again 🙂

Would you do it?

Character interviews

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Laura Pfundt was talking the other day about interviewing characters, then Chris Stocking posted about interviewing his characters.

It’s so important to get to know your characters fully, and a quick Google search will pull up various forms of questionnaires that you can use to get to know your characters better. But, my absolute favourite way to get to know my characters is by using Manon Eileen’s Character Survey 🙂 Another good one is listed on the Writers Write Creative Blog

Kirsten at Write A Book With Me takes her characters out for a cup of coffee. I LOVE this idea.

And Kate Walker gets her hubby to bombard her with questions about her characters in the car 🙂

People watching at Swanwick 😉

So what do you do to get to know your characters?

A Jungian Tool for Character Creation (presentsofmind.wordpress.com)

Introducing The Hero

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Following on from the previous post, all heroines need a hero 🙂

My hero is called Harry. He is in his early 30’s with dark brown hair, which is almost black and green eyes. His hair is short at the sides with a floppy fringe that he regularly pushes back. His skin is Meditteranean in appearance. He is 6 foot tall, of athletic build, with long elegant fingers and well manicured nails.

Single, he spent his 20’s backpacking around the world and came back to settle down and have a family. Successful, he owns his own photography business. He works hard and in his spare time plays squash and enjoys attending the theatre and opera’s. He has a love of art and is attracted to beautiful things.

He lives with his younger brother Daniel, who is 10. Their parents were killed in a tragic car crash 18 months ago and Harry became the boys guardian. They live in a large house overlooking the river. He wears his mothers wedding ring on the 3rd finger of his right hand.

With a good head for business he is strong willed and determined. Often perceived as arrogant, he has a caring gentle side, that only those he allows to get close enough, see. He finds it hard to open up to people. His father was more interested in his career as a University Professor than he was in their sons, but Harry was close to his mother. His misses her terribly.

So that’s Harry 🙂 Does he make a convincing hero?

Introducing The Heroine

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

As most of you know (those who have been following me for a while now) I have a thing about characters lol. I do a lot of character sketches. It goes back to my childhood, playing with dolls and dolls houses. I just love making up life stories for people 🙂

Sooooo, back in June I embarked on a Pocket Novel course, and my first step was to come up with a heroine. Please let me introduce you to Kate, the heroine of our story……

Kate has just turned 30. She has shoulder length chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes. A size 12/14 but constantly battling with her weight, she has a mole on her cheek and pale skin that easily burns. Most at home in jeans which she wears with pumps, she can be “girly” when required and enjoys dressing up for nights out with her girlfriend.

Single, she is still looking for Mr Right, but finds it hard to trust men after being hurt badly by an ex (who cheated on her). She works as a secretary in a large office in town (which bores her rigid) and at the weekends enjoys long walks with her dog. She lives with her dog Buster in a large Victorian house that has been converted into flats. Whilst she’s at work, the lady below, Mrs Peel has Buster.

Kind and thoughtful, she loves animals and has volunteered at the local Shelter. She bites her nails and suffers from confidence issues. An only child to divorced parents she has a good relationship with her mum. She rarely sees her dad, especially now he has a new girlfriend who is her age. She has a best friend Francesca, who she’s known since school, they work in the same company.

During her parents bitter divorce she spent a lot of time with her grandparents. Sadly her grandfather is now dead but she visits her grandmother every week without fail, in the sheltered housing accommodation she now lives in. Her hobbies are reading (mainly romance) and dancing. She likes to go to the local clubs on a Saturday night and goes to Salsa dancing classes when she can be bothered. Her gym membership is rarely used.

Often described as stubborn, she can be reluctant to change her mind after she’s made a decision about something, or assumption about someone. She dreams of one day having a husband who dotes on her and 2 children. She loves children and is beginning to worry that this may never happen.

So that’s Kate. I need her to be likeable, sooooo dear reader Do you like her? and is there anything else you’d like to know about her?

A Fun Packed Day

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

I had a lovely breakfast this morning which included “black pudding”…now, we dont get that at Swanwick 😉 So i was really set up for the day and the first part of my course “A Complete Introduction To writing Romance” with Kate Walker.

Kate talked about characterisation and that by creating in depth characters to begin with, a plot and conflict can be formed. Thoroughly enjoyable, i learned a lot 🙂 Kate has a book out at the moment about Writing Romance, so i can highly reccomend that if youre interested in the Mills & Boon/Harlequin avenue.

After a lunch of salad it was time for Stephen Wade to give a talk, entitled “A Man of Many Hats” He talked about his 65 published books, which genres range from biography and poetry to true crime. He read us examples of his poetry and even put on the Russian accent required when reading his poem about the Russian and the dinner lady. A very amusing and entertaining guy, and, husband to Kate Walker 🙂

His advice to aspiring writers? Wear lots of hats! 🙂

After a small break it was time for an after tea session. I chose to do “Finding Your Place: Bringing Settings To Life” with Carol Fenton. The session was all about showing us how good description of a setting can add mood to your work. Carol gave us photos we had to write about, and my mind went blank (typical!!!). Some of the other delegates read out some of their descriptions, which were excellent! 🙂

One of the books Carol Gave us as an Example was Waterland by Graham Swift. I approached Carol after the class and asked her if she knew if there was any truth in the rumour that Swift wrote the book (which is set in the English Fens) with out even visiting the area. Carol didnt know, but we both agreed that if that was indeed true, what a marvellous writer.

And thats what we want isnt it? To be able to write as if we know an area inside out, even if we dont 😉

Tonights speaker is Irene Yates, and unfortunately i wont be attending 😦 My feet are killing me! lol. So im in my room, with my fluffy slippers on *snigger*

Later this evening there is going to be a pub crawl….ha ha ha, no chance. So it’ll be drinks on the terrace instead, or rather, in my case “drink” 😉

The Jersey War Tunnels

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

I’m ashamed to say that I knew nothing of the suffering of the Jersey people during WWII. I guess the Channel Islands are too far away for it to bear any impact on the average spotty 14 year old sitting in a History class of a mainland British school.

My trip to the tunnels was educating and alarming. It’s a very thought provoking place. How can you say you enjoyed your visit in the knowledge of all the suffering that went on there? The atmosphere is heavy, cold and eerie. But, at the same time I found it inspiring. I carried Louisa May Gould’s ID card with me, at that stage, unaware of her fate.

The strength of us Brits in times of trouble is somewhat famous, and many would argue quite unique throughout history. So I emerged into the warm daylight from the dark caverns filled with a sense of hope and admiration.

Louisa was a widow when the war started, with 2 sons.

This photo was taken in 1939.

One of her sons was killed in action, so when she discovered that one of the Russian prisoners had escaped the Nazi’s who were using their prisoners as slave workers, she said “I have to do something for another woman’s son.” She ended up hiding Feodor “Bill” Buryiv for nearly a year in 1943/44.

Betrayed by a neighbour, she was arrested in May 1944 and sentenced to 2 years imprisonment. Sent to France and by August of that year she was in a concentration camp near Berlin, Ravensbruck.

Unfortunately, when the Germans received word that the allies were closing in, they fled the camp, but not before killing everyone in it by constructing make shift gas chambers. Louisa died on the 13th February 1945.

I guess what drew me to this story is that I am a mother of 2 sons myself. Would I have done the same thing? I really don’t know. Louisa knew the consequences, what would happen to her if she got caught. But I guess, that desire to help a young man, when she couldn’t help her own son, was overpowering.

So that’s the basic story, and I’ve been toying with ideas, and the question, how to tell Louisa’s story. I could do it from the POV of “Bill”? Or what about her other son, the one that didn’t get killed in action, how did he feel about it all? Or how about the neighbour, the one that betrayed her. Why did that person do that? Who were they? Or just stick with Louisa’s? And then there’s the choice of 1st person or 3rd person lol.

I think that one of the overriding things that makes me beleive I’m a writer is the fact that I question everything and often describe myself *goes into London mode* as wanting to know “the ins and outs of a ducks arse” lol. Horrible saying I know, but one I grew up with as a child….haven’t got a clue who came up with that one! Anyway, I need to think, I need to make a decision…hey, I need to research lol

Which POV would interest you the most?

Silly Man…..

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Here’s my snippet inspired by Sundays picture of the champagne 😉

Orson sat down at the bar and ordered a drink, Vodka, neat, and drank it down in one gulp.
“Steady there fella.” The bar man laughed. “Another?”
“Yeah, keep em coming, no, give me the bottle, room 320.”
The bar man nodded and placed the bottle on the bar.
Orson poured another drink and helped himself to ice from a chrome lidded ice bucket. The tongs were so cold they almost stuck to his fingers.

It was some time before he noticed that he’d hit the almost full bottle hard. His head was beginning to swim and aware that his legs seemed to belong to someone else.
“Vodka and coke please?”
Orson turned in the direction of the voice. A woman stood next to him. She smiled and he was struck by the greenness of her eyes, which matched her dress perfectly. He pushed the bottle in her direction.
“Bad day?” She asked.
Orson looked down at his left hand and twisted the gold wedding band that was beginning to cut into his finger.

The next thing Orson knew was waking in his hotel room, flat on his back on the bed, naked. He tried to lift his head from the pillow and groaned. The pain was intense.Trying to look around the room from his horizontal position he could see nothing out of place until he noticed the bottle of champagne, turned upside down in its bucket. The 2 glasses lay on their sides on a small side table. Swinging his legs to the side of the bed he sat up slowly. He felt sick and dizzy. The pain in his temples throbbed with an intensity he’d never experienced before. He looked round for his clothes but couldn’t see them.

“Shit, my wallet!”
He staggered to the wardrobe and looked at the safe. It was open and empty. It was only then that he noticed all his clothes, even his shoes, were missing.”
The telephone rang.
“Yes!”
“Good morning Mr James, this is Reception. Just to let you know your wife has just arrived. She’s asking if she should come up, or meet you down here for breakfast……Mr James? Shall I send her up?”

*evil snigger* I do like a bit of conflict lol. Poor old Orson, what is he gunna do? Lol

Any ideas as to how he’s gunna get out of that? 😉

She Lay Down Deep Beneath The Sea

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Remember the picture prompt on Sunday?……well, of course my characters have to come with some backstory. I didn’t bother doing any description because you already know what they look like lol

Ellie & James

Ellie and James have recently moved in together. The situation being forced on them when Ellie’s stepfather threw her out for not being able to pay rent (and hence depriving him of beer money). James managed to find a pokey bedsit over the top of a Kebab shop in their local high street.

Ellie is 20, streetwise, able to look after herself, she’s had to. Since her father left when she was 8 she’s had many step fathers, most of which have only hung around for a few months. Loud and often offensive, she finds it hard to show her true emotions and suffers from low self esteem. She finds it hard to trust and comes across as a very angry young woman, her childhood has been hard. She loves James to bits, but can’t bring herself to tell him exactly how she feels. She can be cold, and often callous towards him, but can’t seem to stop herself.

James is 19, softly spoken, but cheeky and charming. His parents were horrified when he quit college to get a job so that he could move in with Ellie. He is a talented guitar player and at college was doing a course in Electronic Engineering, which would have led to a University place. He met Ellie in a pub 9 months ago and was immediately smitten. He loved how out going she was, and was drawn to how different she was from the normal girls he’d dated. All of James’ friends think he’s mad moving in with Ellie. They predict disaster and have warned James he’ll end up getting hurt. James believes he can rescue Ellie, show her love, and that he can make up for all the hurt she feels.

Today, Ellie has made James some lunch. He’s on his break from the local cafe, where he spends most of the day serving greasy fry ups to truck drivers. They argued last night, about Ellie’s lack of interest in getting a job. So today, she’s tidied the flat and actually got dressed (albeit in yesterday’s clothes) to show James she is making an effort. He’s pleased to see her dressed and believes her promises of spending the afternoon job hunting. But James has failed to realise the significance of the bottle of Vodka on the table.

When he returns from work this evening he will find her passed out on the couch, the empty bottle on the floor. He’ll fall into bed exhausted and wondering whether he’s made a big mistake.

Hmmmmm, ok, I think I was influenced with this, big time lol. I went to Margate yesterday, to the Turner Contemporary to see the Tracey Emin exhibition.

I always find Tracey’s work, not exactly depressing, but full of pain and so emotionally charged. I guess that’s because I know her background, what she’s been through. So by the time I got home and wrote about Ellie & James I was feeling, I dunno, reflective?

I think this is the painting that influenced James & Ella’s story:

But there were lots of others such as:
Never Forget Me
Just to say Awake & Alive I thank you (painting of a woman laying on a couch)
I did not say I can never love you. I said I could never love

I could go on and on lol

On the wall at the entrance of the exhibition, there was a write up on what had influenced Tracey to do this collection. How an idea of trees in an olive grove when her father died had turned into how she felt, like being beneath the sea. Aren’t ideas brilliant? The way we can go from one to another to another and get to a point that is so detached from the original, but makes perfect sense.

Have you written anything recently that you can say was totally inspired by something specific? Would love to hear what you’ve been inspired by lately 🙂

Breakfast or Lunch?

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Today’s picture is another drawing by Martin Karlsson, currently on display outside The Tate Modern. I’m not sure what this one is called, sorry, but I love it. He’s caught the action so well 🙂