Some writers worry that if they spend a lot of time pre-writing, outlining, and storyboarding that it will interfere with their creativity—you know, that spontaneous spark of genius that only comes if you let the words just flow.
I beg to differ. Creativity is just as spontaneous when you are drafting an outline as when you are writing your first page, if you allow for flexibility.
Something magical happens when you start to create your characters, giving them names, descriptions, physical appearances and mannerisms. It’s likely that they will begin to take on a life of their own as you’re doing this. I mean, it’s not the same thing to create a flat, dull, unassuming character than when you write in one is that is flamboyant, colorful and outspoken.
It’s like working from a canvas. First you have a plain picture, then you take it into Photoshop; you add color, filters; you diffuse the lighting and add a grainy effect. Just like my photograph on the left–a selfie of my creative space.
Preparing Your Characters for Their Story
Perhaps the best way of fleshing out your characters through the process of outlining, is by creating a character profile. Start with your main character and do the same for all your supporting characters. Follow the outline I prepared for you in my previous post, From Idea to First Page.
Profile pages enable you to work out important details about your character, the relationships between other characters, and ultimately your story. Fiction writers should be students of human nature. They should be observing people and how they behave with one another. I often like to visit malls, parks, and the beach–that being my favorite location of all.
Only because at the beach, people are hanging loose, relaxing with family and friends, saying anything about everything. As a writer, our job is to listen intently. Watch at the way they react to one another, how they show and articulate their feelings, aspirations, and obsessions. This is research, and although you are not writing your narrative, you are creating the building blocks of your story.
One of the pleasures of researching comes when unexpected discoveries about your character lead you to a clear narrative path. Your mind is the most powerful thing God has given you as a writer. And when you let those findings have a way to adding back information and insight into your story, your characters will take on a reality of their own and through them your readers will be transported into their lives.
Preparing Descriptions of the Setting
I love reading novels whose setting transport me to another place and time. Such was the case with the latest novel I read, “The Girl on the Train,” by Paula Hawkins. Like its train, the novel blazes through scenes and the author does a great job describing each one, giving you a glimpse of suburban London. I could not stop turning the pages.
And that’s exactly what you want your readers to do. But before you get to the writing of the novel, you must get to know your characters and create a setting where they will come alive for your reader. For me, as I read “The Girl on the Train” I felt like Rachel [the protagonist] was not just a commuter on a train traveling morning and night. Every hour that passed and I read more pages of the novel, Rachel’s life became more familiar to me, and so did she. Like a friend you don’t want to let go.
As you finish drafting your own characters, and create that scene outline, you will see your story unfold. Ultimately, as you start writing your story, you will choose your descriptive details [character, setting, etc.], just be sure you don’t get stuck in description. Remember that the first five pages of your novel are the most important ones. Readers often find themselves lost in description, when all they want to know is what your characters look like. There’s a fine line between lush description and the kind that chokes the reader. On my next Dialogue, I will be talking about just that.
Happy writing,