“I would say to get the character in your mind. Once he is in your mind, and he is right, and he’s true, then he does the work himself. All you need to do then is to trot along behind him and put down what he does and what he says.”
William Faulkner
That bit of advice, according to Faulkner, is how to start writing a novel. But where do you find these “people” to follow around? Is there a character bar where they hang out trying to pick up authors? Or a “meet and greet” day at a local writer’s group? Do they have a character church group authors can visit on Sunday?
Romance writers might get a jump start by going to conventions and meeting fantasy-worthy cover models. For horror and thriller writers that approach might be dangerous. Can somebody who dresses up as a zombie or a vampire really be trusted not to bite you? The chances of encountering a pooka leaning on a corner streetlamp are slim, but never zero
I have found that characters, even the straightest of straight shooters, enjoy lurking in the shadows just so they can leap out and shout, “Gotcha!” It’s a heck of a way to start a friendship. It works though, if for no other reason than it’s hard for an author to ignore an introduction like that. The shock value is all the more real when the author figures out all the shadows are in his/her own mind.
I can’t speak for others, but my characters all spring from me, or at least some part of me. Let me be the first to admit some of those characters are not nice people. All of them are flawed, even the good guys have problems. I’ve heard people talk about dreams in which they are walking around naked in public. I’ve never had that dream. I credit that to the fact that my private parts are on display in every story I write.
I won’t admit which parts of my characters’ personalities I share. I have made an effort to avoid Ed Landry, Vern Carson, and Kit Mann from acting too much alike. I can’t say I found any of them. I can tell you their story began when they found me. So, I’m in agreement with Mr. Faulkner that a novel begins with a character to chase after.
Jack LaFountain
Comments