  Short Stories
This week: Creating Believable Characters Edited by: Shannon  
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Welcome to the Short Stories Newsletter. Today we'll be talking about creating true-to-life characters and how those characters affect everyone around them. I'd like to start by sharing a very personal story with you, but bear with me. I promise it'll all make sense in the end.
Let's get started, shall we? |
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Creating Believable Characters
This edition was inspired by my four-year-old grandson. I love you, Sky. 
We all have such aspirations for our children and grandchildren, don't we? We want them to be more intelligent, more successful, more prepared for life than we were at their age. We fantasize about what they'll grow up to be: doctors, lawyers, powerful business men and women with the world in the palms of their hands.
But sometimes things don't work out quite the way we planned.
Skyler was born April 6, 2006. He was eighteen inches long and weighed in at a whopping five pounds, two ounces. I was in the room when he took his first breath, and when the doctor asked me if I wanted to cut the cord I momentarily cringed (I was completely caught off guard), but I did it without hesitation. (I can still hear the squishy slicing sound--like scissoring through a squid.) 
Skyler and Moriah, my daughter, lived with us for the first two years of Skyler's life. He was beautiful, and my love for him literally took my breath away. I didn't think it was possible to love another human being the way you love your own children, but Skyler proved me wrong.
But I knew early on that something wasn't right. Skyler didn't crawl when he was supposed to, didn't walk until after he turned two, and to this day he doesn't speak. For a year (when Skyler was between the ages of two and three) I tried telling Moriah that I suspected he was autistic, but she wouldn't discuss it. She refused to have him tested, and just talking about the possibility of autism made her cry ... so I didn't. Not as much as I should have, anyway.
What you don't know can't hurt you.
In April of last year Moriah, Jason (her boyfriend) and Skyler moved to Montana, and it damn near broke my heart. I was used to seeing them every day, whenever I wanted to, and I wondered how Moriah would be able to handle Skyler alone.
But the kid surprised me. She enrolled Skyler in Head Start. On his third day of school his teacher said, "He seems so frustrated with his inability to communicate. Have you tried sign language?" The idea had never occurred to either of us, but now, a mere six months later, he is signing simple yet complete sentences. His favorite: Candy please, thank you. 
Skyler's autism monopolizes every second of every minute of every hour of every day of Moriah's life. He has Head Start from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. He qualified for something called the "Autism Waiver Program," so two of those hours spent in the classroom are with an aide who is there specifically for Skyler, then he has two more hours with a different aide at home after school. I don't know exactly what Moriah's got going on throughout the course of her day, but she's told me on numerous occasions, "I'm busy from 8:00 a.m. till 10:00 p.m. every day, Mom. I have no downtime." The paperwork she has to fill out to keep Skyler in the Autism Waiver Program is ungodly, to say the least, yet she keeps on keeping on, willing to do anything within her power to help her son. She will continue with this schedule, fourteen hours a day Monday through Friday, for the duration of the school year. During the summer the assistance will switch to in-home aides ... and on it will go for the next thirty-six months.
The past six months have made a huge difference in Skyler's life. It's still risky taking him to restaurants (he loves to snatch cookies, soda and other tasty treats off people's plates, and he screams bloody murder when you take them away from him), he still doesn't speak, he still wears diapers at the age of four, and he'd still rather throw his toys than play with them. Since they moved to Montana, Moriah and Jason haven't done anything without Skyler: no dinners alone, no movies or evening strolls. Their entire lives revolve around Skyler and his autism, and it affects everything they do (and everything they can't do because of it). In addition, everyone in the family is having to learn sign language--something I've always wanted to do, but not necessarily under these circumstances. 
What in the Wide World of Sports does this have to do with short stories? you ask.
Think about the people you know, see and/or come into contact with on a daily basis. Are they all thin and attractive? Do they all dress nicely and drive fancy cars? Are they all successful and intelligent and well-to-do? Are they, their families and their lives perfect in each and every way?
Not likely.
What about that coworker with the hard-to-understand speech impediment, or the deaf man who lives across the street? Remember the young veteran who lost both legs on the battlefield? He races for his college's track team now, wearing those bilateral Cheetah prosthetics. And think about your neighbor--you know, the one who's never late for soccer games or PTA meetings or church on Sunday mornings ... or ladies' night. Doesn't your supervisor's daughter have a $300 a day cocaine habit? And don't forget the autistic boy who goes to your son's preschool.
My point is that real life isn't like an episode of The Andy Griffith Show or Leave It to Beaver. Real people have real challenges ... real addictions, real secrets and real skeletons in their closets. When you're fleshing out your characters, remember that autism and alcoholism and drug addiction and infidelity and depression and anorexia and bipolar disorder (just to name a few) not only affect the person afflicted, but each and every person in their lives. At times it consumes them, and in some cases it defines who they are.
Thank you for reading.
Skyler
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A short story about a disabled man named Randy fighting through his life one day at a time
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And a poem about autism from a family member's point of view: |
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The following is in response to "Short Stories Newsletter (February 3, 2010)" :
Mara ♣ McBain  says, "Awesome NL! I loved that show and one of my best friends bought the tape for my son when he was little.  They did a great job of making learning fun."
An apple a day....  says, "Hear, hear! Sometimes we need to be reminded how lucky we are.....great newsletter, Shannon, and we do have a responsibility to protect and respect those rights."
NickiD89  says, "Thanks for making the statement that writers and readers should be tolerant and respectful of each other's right to free speech. I feel this way about my characters, too. I may not endorse prejudice thinking, or excessive cursing, but my character may think they're okay. I won't control a character just because I don't like how he's acting. I hope readers understand that my characters aren't me. By the same token, I won't judge a writer by the characters she creates. Great discussion topic, Shannon!"
aszreal says, "What a fantastic lesson. Though I'm certainly guilty of feeling incensed when I stumble on another writer's opinions that don't match my own, you're very right: they have as much of a right to share their opinion as I do. Some of my work is probably just as inflamitory to them. Thank you for the nudge, and for reminding us that write and let write flows in both directions. Well said."
SantaBee  says, "They have schoolhouse rock on iTunes! hehe. Can't wait to show my kids."
LJPC - the tortoise says, "Hi Shannon, I, too, was surprised by the vehemence with which some denounced Bill's newsletter. To me, the NL was an informative essay filled with facts about legends and many different religions. To others, it was propaganda. I think they were oversensitive. I applaud Bill for being true to his ideals AND being kind enough to put dissenting (and mean) letters in his next NL. Thanks for shining a spotlight and adding your voice to the conflict. I doubt it will open small minds though."
Angelica Weatherby-Star on top  says, "This is a unique and wonderful subject.  "
atwhatcost says, "I disagree. 'Respect' should only be given to people worthy of it. On the other hand, dignity and politeness, should be given to many more. We judge - as readers, writers, and simply people. I will not respect someone whose opinion is not based in reality. Even then, though, they deserve the dignity every person does."
thenightwriter says, "I agree with your statement, 'move on to the next newsletter.' That's exactly what I did-- I dropped my membership to the 'Horror/Scary' newsletter. Agreed, there is freedom of speech-- but one shouldn't be surprised at the level of offense received when a newsletter's focus switches from apples to oranges (which is exactly what happened when the 'horror/scary' switched to 'Jesus is the reason for the season')."
billwilcox says, "Spot On, Shannon! Spot On!  "
I've received a lot of email about last month's NL, some of which was pretty scathing. I even had a friend say he was going to unsubscribe. So for the record, please allow me to clarify MY feelings on this subject:
I think the whole thing comes down to common sense and tolerance (and tolerance is a two-way street). There is a time and a place for everything--a right way and a wrong way to do or say something. If a reader doesn't like what he's reading, it's counterproductive to respond by sending insulting, intentionally inflammatory remarks. Likewise, a writer who responds to such remarks by throwing in a few of her own is not likely to convince dissenters of the validity of her opinion.
There are also limits to what can be said and what should be tolerated by society as a whole (Fred Phelps and NAMBLA come to mind here). When what you're saying or doing clearly violates the rights and/or potentially threatens the safety of others, society and the law should draw the line.
Each and every one of us--writers and readers alike--should feel free to express our opinions without fear of reprisal (so long as said opinions don't violate the rights and/or safety of others), and we ALL need to be more tolerant and respectful of opposing viewpoints.
Thank you ALL for your feedback and for taking the time to read and comment. I very much appreciate your continued support, encouragement and friendship.
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Short Stories: March 03, 2010 Issue [#3543]
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