March 9, 2010

By Vonda Skelton

Posted in: Writing Instruction | Kudos

Who are the Characters in YOUR LIfe?

grandkidsgingerbreadhouseThe more I teach at writer's conferences, the more I realize how blessed we are as writers if we have home-grown, ready-made characters in our families. You know what I'm talking about...the eccentric grandpa who buys moonshine along with the eggs, the prim and proper aunt with the colorful past, the entrepreneurial dad with the can-do attitude and the can't-do bank account. Yes, I am blessed as a writer.

Most fiction writers admit that even though their characters are rarely exact duplicates of anyone, many are compilations with bits and pieces of various people, thrown together into a hash of the real and the imagined. And the results can be a quite entertaining.

Take Bitsy's dad, for instance. Anybody who knew my daddy knows this fictional character is Bobby Skinner. Bitsy's dad has my dad's entrepreneurial spirit, his joy of making a people laugh at his own expense, and his determination to come up with a business deal to make his family rich. As a matter of fact, when I teach my Writing is Fun workshops in schools, I'll stop here and say, "Ask me if we ever got rich." The students will ask and then I say, "No. But he was such a character that I'll be able to write for the rest of my life and never run out of ideas!"

So here's what I'm asking you today: Who are the characters in your family? In your past? In your present? What are the scenes from your life that are compelling? Unusual? Hilarious? You can take those people and those scenes, and-again, as I tell my young students-"You just make them bigger, badder, meaner, sadder."

Family eccentrics and memorable scenes are gifts for us writers. But I've recently had a revelation about quirky characters: I am one. Yep, last week I realized I'm the character my children and grandchildren can draw from if they ever decide to write.

And I'm not sure how I feel about that. I think I'm happy about it.

I think I am.

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It's Kudos Week!

These Christian Writer's Den readers have done what it takes, and they have the proof! Congratulations to:withtwohandscover

1.     Rebecca Davis (SC): Rebecca's latest book, With Two Hands: Stories of God at Work in Ethiopia, will be released in May. 

2.     Marietta (Mari) Taylor (NC): Mari's first book, Surviving Unemployment Devotions to Go, has been published by Extreme Diva Media. Also, Mari's first column with Girlfriend 2 Girlfriend Magazine will appear in the spring issue.

3.     Cheryl Barker (KS): Cheryl's article "Personal Worship: An Approach to Life" has been accepted for publication by Evangel, a Light and Life Communications' weekly Sunday School paper (date not yet determined).

4.     Megan Vance (PA): Megan's article, Family of Readers Filled Arms, Minds From Our Libraries, was published in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette in the Raves column.

5.     Cindy Jones (AL): Cindy has received a contract from LifeWay. Her story, Once a Victim, Now a Conqueror, will be published in the Journey Devotion the month of September.

6.     Ginny Brandt (SC): Ginny has a new devotion, My Stimulus - God or Stuff, at ChristianDevotions.us. 

7.     Susan Dollyhigh (NC): Susan's story, "He Restores My Soul," is in The Ultimate Christian Living book, just released by HCI Books. 

8.     Kimberli Buffaloe (NC): Kimberli's adoption story is on Ane Mulligan's new adoption share blog. You can read it here. 

Congratulations, writers! God is certainly blessing our group!

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Are You Interested in Writing for Children?

The Writing for Children Package Special will end soon. Don't miss this chance to get Teaching Children Biblical Truth Through Secular Fiction download class and get Write a Novel Children Will Love for half price. That's $22.43 for TWO classes and handouts! No shipping. No waiting. Simply order, download, and listen at your convenience. It's like a writer's workshop in the comfort of your own home!

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As we consider the characters God places in our lives and the ones we place in our books, let's remember this Proverb:

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22

Let's remember to laugh.

I pray God's blessing on the work of your hands and your hearts,

Vonda

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5 Comments

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#1 Edie Melson — http://www.thewriteconversation.blogspot.com

Vonda,
You're so right! I could go on and on as I think about my family (and the stories they could tell on me)! I don't have to go back to find some of the funniest characters, I look forward, to my 3 sons. They've provided their daddy and I hours of entertainment-and as they leave home we're hearing even more stories-many that I'm glad not to have heard when they happened!Thanks for reminding me what a blessing it is to be able to laugh and love as part of a close family!

#2 Melony — http://www.melonybrown.com

Vonda~
When I started writing my current novel, my character's appearance reminded me of my chiropractor. It wasn't intentional; it just happened. Then as I reread my novel after some time away, I noticed the same character has many of the personality traits of a once close friend.
I see a little of my personality quirks in my main character's sister. And I realized my quirks make for a believable character!

Melony

#3 Robin Bryce — http://www.RobinBryce.com/connect

Yep, you're a character all right, and not just for your kids and grandkids. While I may think you're normal, there are others under my roof that could write all day about you as some eccentric, quirky aunt. Thanks for investing in them.

I thank God for characters and experiences that fill out our life story.

#4 Jean — http://jeanmatthewhall.com

Your family must have been hilarious, Vonda. I can think of only one uncle who used to do disgusting things I won't mention here. But they are great fodder for tween and teen humor, I think.

I'll have to write some of those things down before my ancient brain forgets them completely.

Blessings,
Jean

#5 Vonda Skelton

So I'm not the only one with characters in the family, huh? Sure makes writing more fun, doesn't it? Sometimes I sit at the computer and laugh my head off. Other times, I sit there and cry. Memories. They can bring the emotion--good or bad--into the story.

 

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