Month: February 2016

During the process of developing the characters in my novels I search for images that resemble or inspire the physical description of the primary actors. I used to page through magazines and catalogues to cut out pictures. Now I use the Internet.

Sometimes I have a specific person in mind. Other times I seek a “type.” Because I write young adult novels, I’m often on the hunt for pictures of actors during their high school years.

The appearance of Bronwynn (protagonist of Lace Reader) was inspired by Cate Blanchett when she appeared as Elizabeth I. But Bron is fifteen and Ms. Blanchett was older than that when the film was made. So I searched for the most youthful images I could find of the actress.

 

 

 

Neville has remarkable blue eyes that crinkle attractively when he smiles. His martial skills are lacking but he takes the teasing he receives in good stride. A young George Clooney seemed to fit the bill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penryn is a privileged youth who is self-serving and always has an eye on his future. Bron is flattered by his attentions, but should she be? Stuart Alan Jones portrays an attractive yet conniving character in A Game of Thrones and seemed right for this role, too.

Using pictures that resemble the characters I have in mind helps me imagine how they might speak and move through the world I created for them. And when the inspiration for a character is an actor, I can take advantage of their screen presence to observe them in action.

Of course, this is only the outward appearance of the characters in my novel. But a great starting point as I delve deeper into the people of my story.

I continue to work on The Last Lace Reader (working title subject to revision as The Last Web Reader). This is a young adult fantasy set in a world where magic exists but most cultures have chosen to restrict the magical races to the fringes.

I began the novel for Cynthia Whitcomb’s Screenwriting Class so I could apply her methods to a new venture rather than a completed project. Fortunately, the world building and research had been completed years ago for an earlier novel and amended for subsequent stories. Other than screenplay formatting, everything covered in Cynthia’s class is applicable to novels. While most of the writers in the Fall 2015 class were screenwriters, there were a few novelists.

The class included scene readings and comments from fellow classmates as well as Cynthia. At the conclusion of the class we had the wonderful opportunity to submit a completed screenplay or up to 100 pages of our novel to Cynthia for her professional review.

Cynthia’s editorial comments on my opening scenes were in line with my own assessments of the first draft. Her words were very encouraging.

Writers work in a vacuum. And because we work alone it is easy to lose perspective. Most often we are overly critical of our work. This makes us fearful of putting it out for others to see. So encouraging words from fellow writers, and especially those who’ve been successful out in the real world, mean a lot to those of us still toiling away in private.

I think the the books read, conferences attended, classes/workshops taken are beginning to gel. I’m on the verge of figuring out this novel writing thing.