FB#1: She bled tears through the heart sewn on her white shirt...

{writing tips from one fledgling novelist to another}

{postsecret, via weheartit}

y writing pal's always going on about vulnerability. Its the one emotion that forces you to come out, buck naked in front of a popcorn chomping public. They could laugh, or they might get it, but its the most beautiful emotion of all.


Characters who don't have this real, gut wrenching, crazy-wonderful side to them often read flat on a page. One character, or really a couple (not saying who, as not to drive people away from this post), are almost nauseatingly vulnerable with each other. I noticed that behind closed doors, I thought it a beautiful portrayal of two people who are ridiculously honest about their obsessive need for one another. Two classic characters that show this: Catherine and Heathcliff {Wuthering Heights- Charlotte Bronte}. Those may be considered extremes of vulnerability, but they do show it in ways that enrich the texts.


Character Enriching Idea #1: Go to Post Secret. 
This website has some of the most brutally honest, borderline disturbing and beautifully human secrets posted by people who are brave enough to send them, even if it is anonymously. It just came to me, as I was blog scanning, that this collection could become a possible inspiration for writers seeking to create fleshed out characters.


Why?
It is possible that vulnerability displayed within a character can reach such an extreme that it becomes cliched, or often like a soap opera. If you're like me, you don't want that plastic psuedo-drama in any of your pieces. Reading over the photographs on PostSecret could offer you vulnerable little bits which can be the difference between a cardboard character and one that's timeless. Of course, learn from other writers who've done it well, but remember that there's no better characterization lesson than to observe real humans. Humans who've stopped trying to be perfect, and started admitting the flaws.


Warning: 
Please don't use the exact secrets seen on the website. That's just wrong! 

When you get writing your masterpiece, think of the emotion you are trying to portray within a particular scene, through your characters. Consider whether it reads believably. Think of ways to really flesh your protagonist out, or make your romance standout.

One thing my pal showed me, is that vulnerability hurts most of the time. So if you read it, and its slightly painful, you just might be headed in the right direction! Make your readers remember what it's like to fall in love, to lose it, or to endure that awkward conversation with someone!

My Journey: Once I stopped writing prototype characters all the time, I was finally able to move forward on my novel idea. Although challenging, I am in love with my series, and the process!

Happy Writing!