Do Your Characters Have Chemistry?

I'm about to send out Chapter Five of Uneven Lines to my readers, which is the point in my story where my characters finally admit they're attracted to one another. One of the issues I've been thinking about as I write the second draft is whether or not the readers will actually believe that this attraction exists. I worry that I might just have the characters say it without actually showing it before they get to this point. So all this worrying makes me think on a broader scale--do my characters have chemistry? Or do I just think they do?

Ok, so if you're writing any type of romantic story, you'll have the characters who are going to get together. Some way or another it's going to happen. I think the bigger issue here is will the readers want them to get together, and will they believe it when it happens? It's all about how you write it. If your characters seem flat and boring, and there are no sparks between them when they interact, then the reader isn't really going to care that they get together. Or even worse, they might stop and say, "These two people just don't click at all. They'd never get together in real life." You definitely don't want that.

I think there's a lot that goes into it. I'm writing in first person, so there are plenty of moments where I can sneak in little details that show the narrator's attraction. But it has to go both ways, too (shut up, Jordan, I know what I said...). Unless your whole story line involves one character being completely smitten with someone only to be completely rejected, the other person has to show some interest, too.

But let's talk about what chemistry is, exactly. It's really just the way two people interact. It can be good or bad. When we talk about chemistry between people, we usually think of it as having to do with attraction. Two people meet and something just clicks. You think of good actors having chemistry with their costars, as well. When it comes to fictional characters, I think it's a blend between these two concepts. You'll want to show that your characters are actually attracted to each other, and create a certain dynamic between them. But you also want to entertain your readers. You want your characters to act like real people, but on a different scale. You want to show only the moments and details that are interesting.

How do you do this? It really depends on the relationship you want to ultimately create. Chemistry between your characters is all about drawing them together and having them interact in a way that is believable and interesting to your readers. You want the reader to just be dying to get to the next scene when these characters get together again. But you also need progression. It can start with them making googly eyes at each other, then maybe some innocent physical interaction--a hand on the shoulder, slapping someone's knee if they say something funny. Have them flirt like crazy. Just don't overdo it--your reader wants to get to the juicy part.

There are different kinds of chemistry, too, when it comes to fictional characters. It isn't always between the two love interests. In my book, Jordan has chemistry with his mother and his best friend, Eric. It's about how characters interact. They'll have a certain dynamic with each person they're close to. You even want chemistry between your protagonist and your villain. It doesn't mean they have to like each other. But there's a certain something between them that draws the reader in and makes them want to see them interact. The sparks fly whenever these characters get together--it doesn't really matter if they're going to jump into bed or wring each other's necks. Or both.

So do I think I did a good job of creating chemistry between my characters? Well, it's not really up to me to judge, at least not at this point. If my readers find the relationship intriguing, if they get to this chapter and scream "YES, FINALLY!!!" then I probably got something right. If they just yawn and say, "so what?" then I'll have to go back to the drawing board. We shall see.

Blog Momentum

Ok, since I'm trying to get back into my blogging schedule, of course I have to participate in the Insecure Writer's Support Group! Click the link to visit Alex J. Cavanaugh's blog and learn more! 

Sure, I've got plenty of insecurities about having readers for my second draft (Jordan attempted to address some of them in Monday's post). What if no one likes it (ok, that one was pretty much stamped out right away)--or, what if a few people hate it? What if I can't keep up with the editing and people lose interest? These thoughts pop up from time to time, but I'm not all that worried about it. I think the second draft is going well and I really like hearing people's responses to it. 

So what's really getting to me, and this may sound a bit weird considering where I'm writing this, is the blog. I just really haven't been feeling it lately. Yes, part of it is that I can't come up with ideas. But honestly, most of the time I just don't feel like blogging. I don't feel like going on and on about the same crap over and over again. I don't want to bore you talking about my second draft in every post. I could try to come up with writing advice, but nothing comes to mind. I guess all my creative energy is focused on the second draft. Which certainly isn't a bad thing, but I worry the blog is suffering because of it. 

I don't visit as many other blogs as I usually do, and my post from Monday was the first post in a long time that didn't get any comments. I'll partially blame that on the fact that I wrote it late in the day, but still, I really don't want to lose momentum. 

Blogging used to be exciting. It just doesn't feel that way right now. When I was keeping to my schedule to get up to my 100th post, it was fun. Co-hosting IWSG last month was a blast, too. Without any specific goals in mind, it's a lot easier to say, "maybe I'll post something tomorrow." 

I am looking forward to the A-to-Z Challenge, although I still have no idea what I'm going to write about. I had thought about coming up with a different obsession or something important to me for each letter, but I'm thinking if I do enough planning maybe each post can relate to writing somehow. We'll see. There's still almost two months to plan. 

Well, that's enough insecurity for one day, don't you think??

Jordan Takes Over: Better Late than Never!

Yeah, yeah, I know I didn't post last month and it's almost the end of the day, but you read the title, didn't you? I didn't even want to do this one. But Sarah kicked me and said all I do is sleep, fuck, and sing songs. I said, excuse me, that's not true. I also stuff my face. WITH FOOD. Christ. Perverts.

So lately miss writer lady and I have been wandering in second draft land. For this past week or so we've been deep in the trenches of Chapter Four. It's rough, man. There's like, a big giant math problem, AND symbolism, AND ridiculous amounts of flirting. So basically it's the hardest chapter to get right. So yeah, it's taking a while.

Ok, I feel as though I need to share some of the random insecurities she's having (uh, excuse me, shouldn't we save that for Wednesday? Stop treading on MY post). Anyway, having readers is equal parts exciting and terrifying. Not for me, of course. I don't really give a shit. I mean, I don't mind getting on people's nerves in real life, so why would I care if reading my story annoys people? But yeah, you're not really gonna have a successful book if people don't like the narrator. You could probably get away with it if there's a love to hate me sort of situation, but if they think I'm just whiny and annoying they're probably not going to get through the whole thing.

Oh for fuck's sake, would someone please tell her I'm not going to compare myself to Holden Caulfield AGAIN? And also to stop hovering over my shoulder while I write MY post? Which is mine???

I swear, one of these days we're just going to have one big cat fight. I'm so going to win.

I think I was making a point somewhere. Oh! Well, we've pretty much gotten two kinds of feedback: either people absolutely love it or they don't say anything at all. I'm sure some of them haven't even started reading yet, which is ok. But then she's wondering if there are people who have read it and aren't saying anything--do they not like it? Did they give up after the first chapter? Or are they just waiting to read more to make a comment? I mean, who the hell knows? Or cares, really?

Anyway, if you don't like me then I can tell you exactly where to stick the story. Too much?

See you next month!

JP

Checking In!

I thought I'd check in because I just realized I haven't blogged in TWO WEEKS. Yikes.

I dunno, I just haven't been feeling it lately. I guess that's because my focus has been more on the second draft of Uneven Lines. Which is good. Really good. I finally caved and got a group of readers to send each chapter to as I write them. I think it's good way to motivate myself, since I now have people actually waiting for the next chapter. I've finished the first three chapters so far, and I think without this I still would only have one done.

I've read one book toward my goal of 100 for the year. So yeah, that's clearly going well.

Aaaaaaaaand less than three weeks until my muse-iversary trip!! It's exciting! Mostly because I won't have work for three days! I did eventually book a hotel room and bus tickets. Still working on figuring out what to do while we're there. Since I'm nuts, it's going to all be things that happen in my book--so food is important, obviously. I'll be off the diet that weekend so I can stuff my face. I'll probably wait until it gets closer to make any final plans so I can know what the weather is going to be like. I still want a picnic...

So that's it, pretty much. Not all that exciting, I know. But surprise surprise, I have to go get ready for work now.

When Do You Hold Back?

I read somewhere once that a character should not masturbate in the first three chapters of a book. Too bad that's exactly how I start Chapter Two!

There's a time and place for everything, but how exactly do you figure that out when writing a novel? I've been struggling a bit with my opening line to the second chapter, since I love it but it also kind of worries me: "I didn't like jerking off, but sometimes it was necessary." I like it, it fits the voice, but is it too much to open a chapter with? Are my readers going to laugh or be disgusted?

Well, I suppose anyone who's disgusted by that line should know that it only gets worse and probably shouldn't have picked up my book in the first place. But for those who really are interested in this particular story, is a line like this going to scare them off? When is it ok to be completely inappropriate?

I guess it depends on the story you're writing. And it's not just about vulgarity, either. You have to make sure every moment, every sentence, even, fits in with the overall tone and voice of your book. There are times when you can be subtle, and there can be times that make your reader gasp. You really need both to have a good balance. But I think the question that's really been on my mind lately is, should you ever hold something back in your book because you think it's too over the top?

I think I've already answered that question. It all depends on the story you're writing. And on the scene you're writing, actually. The reader is going to be able to tell if a moment, or even a single word, doesn't fit with the rest of the scene. It will take them out of the book for a moment, make them realize it isn't real. And you don't want that. So it's not even about holding back, it's about being genuine. Yes, I start the second chapter of my book with my narrator talking about masturbation. But he's a fifteen-year-old boy with a new crush. What else would he be doing? It's real, so I think it works, the weak-nerved reader be damned!

So mix it up a little. If the reader needs to be punched in the face, then you should punch them in the face. If your characters swear, and it fits your genre, then let them be who they are and talk how they want to talk. Of course, you don't want to overdo it. Every word has to be carefully planned out. It has to be necessary. You don't want swearing just for the sake of swearing. You want your characters to have real voices. Know what works for them and for the story. Never hold back just because you think you should. Hold back only when the story needs it.

In Which I Ramble...Again

I mean, I know I've forced blogging before, but I'm getting a bit ridiculous...

Thanks to everyone who stopped by on Wednesday for IWSG. I loved reading all of your comments, and I got eight new followers that day (woohoo!). 

Bout of Books is not going so well. I finished my first book this morning. I don't know what I expected, really. I barely have time to think, let alone read! But I'll keep going. I have this Sunday off. It's a miracle! No, really, I requested it off, though. I kinda want to watch the Golden Globes. What? Don't look at me like that! Award shows have a weird way of motivating me. 

Work is driving me nuts. I'm exhausted and barely have any time to do what I actually want to do in life. I'm considering more and more the idea of taking some time off just to write. I mean, quitting my job and not getting a new one for a few months. But the thought of that is also terrifying. I know I'll have to plan it out a lot before I even consider it. I'd like to be in a better place with my writing before I do. I'm thinking of taking a vacation at the end of March to figure things and out and just write. I also have my trip to New York in February that I'm excited about. Maybe it'll give me an added boost of motivation. Oh and I did finally book a hotel room and bus tickets, so now it's all about figuring out what to do while we're there. I'm so excited! 

I am, however, feeling a bit more motivated to work on the second draft. I even wrote a few sentences. Maybe Jordan's finally back from whatever rampage he went on since his birthday. Muses can be fickle. I still haven't quite figured out how to map out the next few chapters. But I'm taking it one step at a time. I know what needs to happen next, so I'll just work on that for now and see where it takes me. I did something interesting as well, inspired by one of the comments from Wednesday--I don't write in multiple POVs, but I did write a short little piece in the POV of the other character. And it actually helped me to figure a few things out. It is important, even when writing in first person, to consider what the other characters are feeling. That way their actions and responses can be more genuine. 

Ok, I think I'm done. I still haven't made the bed yet or brushed my teeth...yuck...

The Second Chapter Two

It's that time again! The day for The Insecure Writer's Support Group. This month I have the honor of being a co-host. As always, the IWSG is hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh and my fellow co-hosts this month are Bob Milne, River Fairchild, and Julie Dao. I'm looking forward to checking out a lot of blogs today and meeting some new people.

I should probably admit that I've been avoiding writing the second draft of Uneven Lines (Ooooh. Sorry, actually having a title kind of gives me chills. It's so shiny!). I did already rewrite the first chapter, but that was the easy part. Nothing in the first chapter had to change, structurally speaking. The things that happened in the first draft are the same things that happen in the second, just with a whole lot of new words to tell them. 

Now I'm faced with Chapter Two. And it's not nearly as simple as the first. I knew that in the second draft I was going to have to break the existing chapters down, often having each scene be its own chapter. Most of the chapters in the first draft were too long, so this seemed the most logical way to make them shorter. I also find that having a lot of scene cuts within a chapter can be disjointing for the reader. But it's easier said than done. Chapter Two has three scenes in it, but I really don't feel like any of them can stand on their own. But together, the chapter feels jumpy. The scene cuts bother me. So I'm not sure what I should do.

I've thought about rearranging. I could put the first and third scenes together, but the third scene reveals something that I don't want revealed right away. And the second scene isn't nearly strong enough to be its own chapter. I don't want the reader to be bored so early in the book. Then that makes me wonder if I need the scene at all, but without it the subplot won't get started early enough.

I guess the easiest answer is to rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. This is probably the hardest chapter to figure out. Most of the scenes later on in the book will be able to stand on their own as chapters. I probably need to write some new scenes to help make these early chapters stronger. Which isn't so bad, really. I love writing new scenes. 

So how do you deal with rewriting weak chapters? Do you find you have to rearrange a lot of scenes when you start editing? 

I hope everyone has a good day. I certainly will because I got the day off work to go visit as many blogs as I can!