October Novel Prep Challenge

Hey everyone,
Let me give you a starting point and then you can all throw your ideas back at me and together we'll brainstorm our way to awesomeness! Feel free to disagree, argue and discuss - the more we throw ideas and thoughts around, the better for all of us. And we all work differently, so don't be afraid to say something that contradicts someone else (even me!).

The required assignment suggests you created a detailed character profile. Why? So that you can get to know your protagonist. The better you know your protagonist, the easier NaNoWriMo will be (not to mention tomorrow's contest round!). If you get an idea for a plot, you'll know how your character will react. If you get stuck on your plot, you may be able to just say 'What would my character do next?' and go from there.

It is important for your character to 'stay in character' at all times. Readers get upset when characters behave in ways that don't mesh with how they've been portrayed up to that point. It yanks the reader out of the story and that's never a good thing. With the very best characters, a reader should be able to predict how they'll act or react to any given situation. Does that make it predictable? No, not necessarily. I know how my husband will react to any given situation, but I didn't foresee him being made redundant in 2001, I didn't foresee him being told he could never bake again after ten years as a commercial baker... Life throws curveballs at us, but we react according to our personalities and characters. So should your protagonist.

One thing to keep in mind - every character should have a little bit of goodness and a little bit of badness. No person is wholly good nor wholly evil. Give your good guys flaws and give your bad guys redeeming traits. Just enough to save them from being boring.

The character profile linked in the assignment sheet is AWESOME and I have never yet found a better one. There is information there that may never use in your novel, but the simple process of answering all those questions about your protagonist will enable you to get to know them better.

Some examples of completed character profiles for you to have a look at:
"Damien Detailed Character Profile" 
"Darmok "the Bloodhide"" 

The bonus assignment asks you to have your protagonist introduce themselves to us in their own voice. What can you use to make their voice unique?

One thing I notice in my historical romance novels (don't judge me! ) is that the aristocracy rarely request things - they demand them. This is an arrogant trait, but it becomes part of their speech, part of their voice. The lower class speak more submissively, saying such as things as 'If you don't mind," and 'Would you be so kind as to..." If you have disparities in status, this is something to keep in mind.

Colloquialisms. I come from New Zealand and one of the most common colloquialisms we have is the phrase 'Yeah nah". I should know, I use it all the time. Does it mean yes or does it mean no? It means no. Think of it as someone saying 'Yes, the answer is definitely no." Another distinct example is Cockney rhyming slang from Britain. Or what about Southerners (it is Southerners is it not?) who say 'y'all'? Consider where your character comes from and what colloquialisms they might use. If it is a real place, do your research and find out how they speak. Google is a wonderful tool. If it is a made up place, think of creating new colloquialisms, but remember - a colloquialism varies from region to region, it is not global. Also, people pick up different colloquialisms from everywhere they live. My sister in London has both Kiwi and British colloquialisms.

Accents are a very tricky thing to write. One of my favourite authors, Hannah Howell, writes a superb Scottish accent, but it's not easy to do well. More often it is distracting rather than having the desired effect of drawing your reader in.

Above all, your protagonist's voice should suit their personality. Don't have a meek and mild person shouting demands, and don't have a commanding alpha male mouthing pretty platitudes. If they're rough and gruff, don't have them using flowery words and poetic language. If they're sweet and innocent, don't have them cursing. Okay, that might sound like common sense, but I'm just trying to get my point across.

Right, your turn. Any thoughts, tips or troubles regarding your character profile or voice?

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