Characters In My Mind's Eye

I often wonder how other writers picture their characters in their heads as they write.  Having worked on cover art for a couple publishers and seen spec sheets written by various writers, I can only assume different writers "see" their characters with different levels of detail.  I know some writers who have muses like actors or musicians.  I also know some who really don't care about their characters' physical appearances and prefer to focus on who they are and how they act.

I tend to picture my characters in very high detail, at least in part because I'm an artist by profession.  While I haven't drawn Riley from Art of Death yet, I can see him in my mind like an photo in a yearbook.  I can see down to the shape of his chin, the amount of wave in his hair, the length of his sideburns, the way the shadows fall below his cheekbones.  I know his build and what he would wear.  I don't necessarily describe my characters in this much detail while writing, but it's always there in the back of my mind.

The more I write a character, the clearer the image in my head becomes.  I don't see supporting characters quite as clearly as the leads, and even the leads are unclear until I have a chance to get to know them.

Again because I'm an artist, I often sketch my characters just for the fun of it.  But ironically, the way I sketch them is almost never the way I picture them in my head.  When I work on a graphic novel, the characters have a distinct look, and it's my job to stay as consistent as possible.  But when I draw characters from my prose novels, they're likely to look different every time I draw them, depending on my mood at the time.

A good example of this is the cover for The Dragon Tamer.  The way I drew Aedan on the cover is not quite the way I picture him in my head.  This was deliberate; I wanted a powerful image for the cover with as much universal appeal as possible, so I adjusted his features accordingly.  I've drawn Aedan three times, and each of those times, he could have been an entirely different character.

I'd be curious to know how readers picture Drake from the Dragon Tamer.  His appearance is never described in the story.  It's inspiring to know, based on feedback so far, that readers didn't necessarily need a physical description in order to like him.

I may post drawings of my characters from time to time, but I don't consider my own drawings to carry any more truth or authenticity than fan art.  If I share my drawings, it's just for fun, not to inform anyone of how my characters "really" look.  The beauty of fiction is everyone can picture a character differently, and they can even change their minds from morning to evening.

No More Audiobooks For Me :(

Today is a sad day.  I had to cancel my Audible account.

I originally signed up when I worked a day job with a long commute, and the audiobooks were great during my car ride.  I also thought (erroneously) that I'd be able to listen to audiobooks while doing my freelance projects, but I tend to focus so much on the art that I end up missing huge portions of the narration.

I had twelve unused credits.  I really should have bought something, but I was having too much trouble making the decision, so I just said "screw it" and threw them all away.  I have a backlog of downloaded books I have yet to listen to anyway, and not enough disk space to keep downloading more.

I do enjoy reading the old fashioned way more than listening.  It's faster, and you're guaranteed not to get a bad narrator.  But in the end, it all came down to money.  While I make a comfortable living, the incoming stream of money isn't as steady and reliable as when I had a day job.  Hence I have to be more frugal, and ebooks generally cost less than audiobooks.

It's too bad.  With my work schedule, it's getting harder and harder to fit in reading time, and audiobooks are one of the things that give you the option of multitasking.  Too bad, indeed.

Okay, gonna stop whining now!  Maybe someday I'll sign up again...  Someday when I'm rich.

Fanfics and Inspiration

Since the subject seems to have come up in the recent past, I wanted to take a moment and mention where I stand on the issue of appropriating fan fiction to make, publish, and sell an original story.  (I'm not talking about any particular authors out there.  Honestly, the number of other m/m genre authors I've actually read can be counted on one hand, and I can't make judgments on works I haven't read.  The ones I have read don't seem to be relevant to this post.)

I like to create stories in many different genres, so I knew surprisingly little about the m/m genre before contracting my first short story and novel.  For example, I didn't know that most m/m readers and writers are female.  I also didn't know that many m/m writers used fan fiction as a starting point for their stories.

Like so many writers, I've been making up original characters in my head since my elementary school days.  Now, I probably worry more than I should about whether my works are "original" enough.  Any time I see a character in another story or movie or TV show that's similar to one I've created, I have a mini heart attack and start considering whether I need to change my story.  From an artistic standpoint, I've even scrapped entire character designs after coming across others that I felt were too similar.  I may still fail, and in the end my stories may not feel more original to a reader than something that started as a fanfic.  The reader might prefer the fanfic over my story.  But alas, that's the way I like to do things.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that other writers can do whatever they want, and I won't join in any efforts to metaphorically lynch them if I happen to not write the same way they do.  I really have no qualms about how other people decide to write.  And if it works for them and they have a good finished product that reads as original, why should I complain?  But I will guarantee that none of my work comes from fan fiction.  For better or worse, 100% comes from my own backwards, scrambled, upside-down mind.

(on a side note, I plan to describe the origins of each of my stories in future blog posts, preferably when it's not 3am...)

Breaking (and Making) the Rules

As someone who's primarily read and written general fiction over the years, it came as quite a shock to me that many romance readers, writers, and publishers ascribe to so many rules I'd never heard of before.  Here are some of the rules I've heard, a few of which are not specific to the romance genre:

-All stories must end "happily ever after."
-First person is an inferior point of view, and only third person should be used.
-The only dialogue tag allowed is "said," but it's better to avoid dialogue tags entirely.
-Main characters and a romantic element must be introduced by a certain chapter.
-There must be "X" amount of sex in the story.
-Married characters can't cheat on each other.
-Only the lead couple can be shown having sex with each other.
-The main characters cannot experience any truly serious bumps or problems during the story.

I think I gravitated toward Dreamspinner Press because they don't impose so many of their own rules on writers and instead evaluate each story on its own merits.  I've seen some other writers, though, who are quite adamant in pushing their beliefs on dialogue tags, POV, etc.  I think it's great for writers to have rules for their own writing, as long as they realize that their rules are not universal, and that every writer should have the ability to draft their own rules to fit their own audience, goals, and creative vision.

So I've decided to list the rules I use in my writing.  I do not hold other writers to these same rules (although some of them do factor into my personal reading choices).  Also, some of these rules might be more accurately described as "goals," since my current skill level may not measure up quite yet.

Ironically, my own rules are probably more restrictive than the rules I mentioned above.  However, they are rules that make sense to me.

My Rules for Writing

I will end my story in a manner that's authentic to the plot and its characters.  "Happily ever after" will be a conscious choice, not a default.  Whether happy or sad, I will try to deliver an ending that is satisfying.

I will give the reader the freedom to decide what happens after the end of my story.  I will not dictate what happens ten, twenty, or fifty years into the characters' futures.

I will not forget to tie up any loose ends in the plot.  I may, however, choose to intentionally leave some untied.

I will not glorify or celebrate violence.

I will not use animal cruelty as a plot device.

I will not handle gender or orientation in an exploitative manner.  Characters will not be defined by their gender or orientation.

Even if my stories are focused on male characters and a male point of view, I will not use it as an excuse to create cookie cutter female characters based on overused tropes.  Any focal character, male or female, must be well rounded and original.

I will not pretend that people of color don't exist.  However, my characters will not be defined by their ethnicity but rather by their individual traits.

I will not treat minorities as helpless victims.

I will not use sex scenes in an exploitative manner.  Sex scenes will always contribute to the development of the characters involved.  They must work in the context of the story and not be excessive.

I will not let my characters lose their personality and individuality just because they have fallen in love or started a relationship.

I will not use narrative to fawn over my characters or let the audience see how much I love them.  I will let my readers come to appreciate them on their own and will not try to twist their arms into liking my characters.

I will try my best to use language that flows well, is fun to read, is not pretentious, and serves the plot.  I will try to avoid unnecessary words and will be as direct as possible without losing individuality, flow, or creativity.

I will not write plots based on a formula.  Formulas are for math and science, not art or creativity.

There will be no damsels in distress in my stories.

My stories will be based on creative vision, not on marketing.

I will write fiction, not propaganda.  I will not use my characters as a mouth piece for political beliefs.

I will not release a story I don't believe in.

I will only write a sequel if I feel it adds to the overall story, not as a means for financial gain.

I will choose originality over derivation.

I will submit to a publisher if my story fits within their rules (HEA, heat level, etc.), but I will not write a story to fit the rules of a specific publisher.

I will not make creative decisions based on a desire for popularity.  I will not water down my storytelling in an attempt to please everyone.  I will write for my audience only and accept that not everyone will want to be a part of my audience.

I will take risks in my stories for the sake of creative growth, even if I know the risk may make my story less popular.

If someone else's rule has sound reason and makes sense to me, I will follow it.  If I disagree, I will not follow it.

If it is not against my rules, it's fair game.

Okay, your turn!  What are YOUR personal writing rules?

Nice Review for The Dragon Tamer

Hearts on Fire Reviews gives The Dragon Tamer 4 out of 5 stars. Check out the review!

Progression Shots

Progression shots for the cover of my short story, The Dragon Tamer.  I shared these at my Meet the Author event.  Now sharing them here.


(P.S. The colors look sad due to gif compression.  Actual image can be found in my previous posts.)

The Dragon Tamer has been released!

Check it out here!