Too nice to be a writer?

I’m a nice person. I’m kind to older people. Babies and children have a soft spot in my heart and I regularly sneak into pet shops to ooo and aaaah over puppies and kittens. So when it comes to being mean to my characters? I find it hard.

And yet, sweet and kind, a bestseller does not make! 

So what do we writers do? We weave a giant character flaw into the make-up of our protagonist. Then we line up the challenges… each more wicked than the one before... all aimed at that tender spot. Stack up the odds, make the goal more than impossible. We pluck their heartstrings like a mournful violin because that is what keeps our book glued into the reader’s hands and carves our words onto their hearts.

Have you ever wondered why that formula works?

I think…

• We as humans take courage in the courage of others. It feeds that place in us that says – get up, keep moving, you can do this! Whatever your 'this' may be… proposing to your beloved, picking up dog poo on the lawn, facing another round of chemo.

• Seeing someone overcome their fears makes us brave.

• A well-constructed fictional character comes alive inside the reader. Who wouldn’t want to see your friend overcome?

So nice writers dig deep and get mean because in our heart of hearts we know that our protagonist has it inside to rise to the challenge, to overcome, to grow! Why? Because we made them that way. Much like God made us.

How about you? Do your character’s troubles get you in a knot, or do you rub your hands gleefully with every added landmine?

Dianne J. Wilson writes novels from her hometown in East London, South Africa, where she lives with her husband and three daughters. She has just signed a three book contract for a YA series, Spirit Walker, with Pelican / Watershed.

Finding Mia is available from Amazon, Pelican / Harbourlight, Barnes & Noble and other bookstores.

Shackles is available as a free ebook from Amazon & Smashwords.

Find her on Facebook, Twitter and her sporadic blog Doodles.

Devotion: Severely Flawed, or just a Writer?

I've been becoming increasingly concerned about myself. There are some character traits that I cannot shake, no matter how hard I try or pray.  For one thing, I am a complete night owl. If I didn't know better, I'd be concerned that I was harbouring latent vampire genes. If real life didn't demand that I put in an appearance while the sun was up, I could probably go for weeks productively busy between sundown and sunrise.

I'm also obsessive over details. I get caught up like a burr in woolen socks over whatever my mind hooks onto. If there are no current WIP's to take centrestage, then my brain will look for something to chew on - a conversation, a look, a feeling. Analyze analyze analyze... process... allow the resultant emotion to take hold of me and dictate. This is not always a good thing and I'm working on it.

I'm also somewhat anti-social. It's not that I don't like people, I just like being by myself. School holidays are a real challenge as the days often start with a bed full of sprogs before I'm actually ready to open my eyes and continues in a flurry of mom-demanding activities until way past the time I would like to be closing them.  By the time peace and quiet arrives, I'm way beyond tired to do anything but surrender to the soft cooing of the duvet.

I was chatting to God this morning, and He gently flicked a switch in my brain. It all became obvious - I'm not odd, weird or degenerate... well, maybe just a little... Truth is, all the stuff above are good ingredients for a life given to churning out words. To write an article, story ... novel - one needs to be consumed with details, labour alone for long hours and the best time for this is when the world is asleep.

So I'm not bizarre, just built for a purpose.

That's a really good thing to know!

So now it's your turn. Are there things about yourself that bug you? If you step back and look at the big picture, can you see how those niggles actually fit? Let's chat.

"For we are his workmanship, 

created in Christ Jesus to do good works, 

which God prepared in advance for us to do." 

Ephesians 2:10

(reposted from Di's blog Doodles)

Dianne J. Wilson writes novels from her hometown in East London, South Africa, where she lives with her husband and three daughters. She has just signed a three book contract for a YA series, Spirit Walker, with Pelican / Watershed.

Finding Mia is available from Amazon, Pelican / Harbourlight, Barnes & Noble and other bookstores.

Shackles is available as a free ebook from Amazon & Smashwords.

Find her on Facebook, Twitter and her sporadic blog Doodles.