Giving Your

Character Warts

It has been said that every character should have a wart. That means every character should bear something that is noteworthy in the reader’s mind – something that will make them recognizable and memorable.

Let’s say one of your characters has a crossed eye, one has a mole on her cheek, another has a scar, and another has a limp. These are “warts”, i.e., noteworthy details that will help your audience separate the many characters in a long story. A wart may or may not contribute to character typing.

Imagery in Character Typing

What would you think of a male character described as having manicured nails and spit-polished spectator shoes? Now compare that mental image to another man who is described as having halitosis and an unevenly buttoned shirt hanging on the outside.

Do you see the difference between these two people in your mind? If you read those descriptions in a book, you would know that character # 1 was very likely a business man, very detailed, clean to a fault, probably very punctual, and quite responsible.

Character # 2 would be altogether different. He would be a man who doesn't care about himself or anyone else. He may be a drinker, has no personal pride, and couldn't care less about what people think of him. But notice how little I said about them.

If you say a man has a “toothless smile” you’ve said a mouthful.   :-)   Insinuate things about people’s teeth and jewelry to typify characters. Think about a girl who wears no earrings - as compared to one who wears huge hoops. Can you see how this helps type a female in the reader’s mind?

You can do the same thing with dirty nails, bleached hair, mini-skirts, torn tennis shoes, a woman wearing a dress shirt with a tie, etc. All of these things help your reader paint a mental picture.

Type Characters with Dialog

How your character treats others and is treated by others will make indelible footprints on your reader’s mind. Think how easily you can portray a sassy-mouthed teenager, a nagging wife, an unfaithful husband, a nasty store clerk, or the innocence of a child by using dialog.

There is no trick to it. Get into your character’s heads and say what a real character in his/her circumstances would say.

Three Ways to Control Your Reader’s Mind

(Advanced technique)

Have you felt your heart pound with fear during horror movies? Were you skittish when the slasher was about to knife a woman in the shower? You can learn to control your readers like that, too. You can even control the speed at which they read.

Pull your reader into the scene with fast action; then slow the next scene so they can rest their minds and digest what they just read.

To speed a scene, try using alliteration:

"We bounced up the stairs two at a time, slipped into my room unnoticed, and closed the door without making a sound.”

Note the words "bounced", "stairs", "slipped", "unnoticed", "closed" and "sound". All have the S sound. Also notice the T alliteration in "stairs", "two", "at", "time", "into", and "unnoticed". This is double alliteration, and it increases the speed even more.

You can also use action verbs to speed up a scene: "The roller coaster zipped and whirled at lightening speed,” or “The skater swished by in a rush.”

When you want to slow a scene, use words with Ws and Ls, like this:

“A little lady watched from the crowd, and glanced momentarily at her watch.”

Note the use of the four Ls and three Ws in the last sentence. That’s double alliteration and it should make the sentence flow fast, right? There are exceptions to every rule. In this case, the lulling sound of the Ws and Ls overpowers double alliteration to make it a slow sentence.

Let’s look at this sentence and apply what we know at this point:

"The roller coaster zipped and whirled at lightening speed.”

It’s fast because it has the S sound of alliteration. Right? It’s slow because it has one W and four Ls? Right? It’s fast because action words always overcome Ws and Ls. These are but a few of the rules of writing you must learn. To review:

Assignment: read a story and analyze the sentences. When you can recognize this amazing technique, you can write it.

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           Make Quick $$$

A reporter is someone who investigates and reports news stories. This is the means by which many writers make a full time living, and you can do it, too. How? By submitting newsy items and reselling the same article over and over, nationwide.

For example, I once saw a man who was skiing on drive pavement in the heart of a western town (skis were on wheels). I'll bet he was an odd character.

On another occasion, I noticed a broken fence, bulldozer tracks, and the bulldozer sitting, in front of someone's bedroom window. And on a third occasion, I saw a sheriff’s car flipped upside down where it tried to round a corner too fast.

On a vacation in the Rocky Mountains, I saw awesome statues that a gent had carved out of iron and wood. It blew my mind to think that a genius lived in the boonies and sold his art in a small town. What a story that would have made!

All of these things were news items that no newspaper would turn down. News is all around you. Learn to look for it and take the time to report it.

Go to your local newspaper and introduce yourself to the editor. Tell him you will be submitting articles, and ask what kind of pictures he prefers. He will probably say digital pictures taken on a 35 mm camera will be fine.

He may ask if you would be interested in reporting sports events and political town meetings. This is usually a hard position to fill.

How much will they pay? Maybe $15. Sometimes a little more; and they will pay $5 a picture. Not a lot, but hey, they pay immediately! (Sometimes a good pic can get you a front-page story, and you will always get a byline.)

Keep in mind that reporting may be time-sensitive. You may have to write the article up the same night you find the news. In such cases, take it to the newspaper first thing in the morning. Lots of newspapers will let you email articles in.

No, you won’t get rich selling to small town newspapers, but that’s how most writers break into print. By the way, always carry a tape recorder, steno pad, pen, and camera in your vehicle. And Especially be on the alert for articles that have more than local interest. Resubmit them all over the United States!

Save your clippings in a photo album (the kind that holds 8x10 pictures and has press down magnetic sheets to protect them). Be sure to note the date and the name of the newspaper. When you submit to magazines, you'll need that information.

        Write to me at:

        darla@cwinst.com

         Darla's Advice

Hi Darla

I know this sounds dumb, but how do I structure a paragraph?  Amy

Hi Amy

This is an excellent question! And something that most writers forget to do properly.

The first sentence of every paragraph is called the topic sentence, and it should tell the main thrust of that paragraph. The second sentence is the sub-topic sentence, and therefore tells the second most important thing in that paragraph. The last sentence is the transition sentence, which blends the subject of the first paragraph into the second one, the second into the third, and etc. Place your details in the center.

(Technically speaking, transitions can be either the first or last sentence, but preferably first.)

Dear Darla

I have trouble knowing where to make paragraph breaks. Is there a rule for that?   Daniel

Hi Daniel

There is a rule for everything in writing!

Make a new paragraph every time you change subject matter. Keep in mind, you are developing the article or story in bite sizes.

All paragraphs must point back (or contribute to) the main theme but each new paragraph is a sub-division.

Let's say you are writing about camping. Camping is the theme, so the paragraphs might line out something like this:

1. Preparation to leave (mail, etc.)

2. Someone to care for pets

3. Checklist

4. Toys for children

5. Games to play on the road

6. Food to take

7. Reaching destination

8. Cooking out

9. Fishing

10. Going home

Get the idea?

Feel free to write to me at:

darla@cwinst.com

Twist the Ending

Twisting the ending of a story is like putting icing on a cake, a cherry on top of a sundae, or nuts in brownies. It is the ultimate satisfaction.

First, think about where your story is going. What is the logical ending? Next, think of an alternative ending that would surprise the reader. Now, find a common denominator between the two endings where you can make the flow seem right, and then split the story line off in an unsuspecting direction at the last minute. Have fun doing the twist!