The Anatomy of a Book – Creating Characters

So far I’ve talked about where story ideas come from, naming characters, story situations, and title choices. Scroll down for more of this blog series on how I put a book together.



Photographs can be inspirational.

Characters are actually created on the page as you write; there’s just no way to get around it. How you describe them; the clothes they wear; the way they speak, think, act and react; the decisions they make, integrity they show and a thousand other things, all add to the impression. It’s an ongoing process that doesn’t stop until the story ends.

You can get a head start, however, with the use of a character chart. The more details you fill in for your people, the easier it will be to get inside their heads as you put them on the manuscript page. Of particular importance are the goals and yearnings of your main characters as these often drive a story forward.



More inspiration...

Having an easily accessible chart in a computer file, or printed out and posted above your desk, can save time and trouble when you need to remember a character’s hair and eye color or pertinent features. It will also make it easier to keep their actions and emotions consistent throughout the book.

I normally fill out complete details for my heroine and hero; the better I can see them in my mind’s eye, the better they seem to translate to the page.  I also do at least partial charts for the villain (if any) and secondary characters who may have important roles.

Take a look at this example for the heroine of my next Italian Billionaire book, "The Amalfitano's Bold Abduction":

Name: Dana Marsden

Hair: auburn, long, wavy

Eyes: brown with a dark gray outer ring

Description: tall, graceful, strong

Features and Marks: Has a tattoo of a boy on a dolphin
 

Attitude: Take charge, almost overconfident. She gets along well with men, though she considers most of those she works with Neanderthals. Swims for exercise, could have been a champion.
 

Occupation:Policewoman/traffic cop, though she’d like to make detective.
 
Personality:Out-going. She was brought up with three brothers, feels she knows too much about men to ever fall in love with one, refuses to become dependent upon or subservient to a man the way her mother was with her father.

Flaws:Too self-sufficient, too independent, declines to acknowledge her softer side.

Cares about: Her family, her job, animals, children, and the right of people, particularly children, to live without fear.

Goal, External: To escape from the situation she’s in, to best the man who holds her, to be free of his control and her unwanted reaction to him.

Goal, Internal To relax, take it easy, accept and enjoy life. She’s been sent on vacation because she’s too in-your-face, too intense about her job. She is too hard on drivers who might be a danger to children, actually broke the arm of a man who was driving drunk with his preschool son in the backseat.

Yearns for: Acceptance as she is by a man she can respect.

Here is an blank character chart to be copied for use:

Character Chart

Name:

Hair:

Eyes:

Description:

Inspiration of a different kind.

Features and Marks:

Attitude:

Background:

Cares about:

Goal, External:

Goal, Internal:

Occupation:

Personality:

Personality Flaw(s):

Regrets:

Weakness:

Yearns for:

 

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Since publishing her first book at age 27, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Blake has gone on to write over 65 historical and contemporary novels in multiple genres. She brings the story-telling power and seductive passion of the South to her stories, reflecting her 8th-generation Louisiana heritage. Jennifer lives with her husband in northern Louisiana.

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The Anatomy of a Book – The Title Task

So far I’ve talked about where story ideas come from, naming characters and dramatic story situations. Scroll down for more of this blog series on how I put a book together.

The right title can make a book, while the wrong one can sink it. Finding something worthwhile is a guessing game, but there are a few things to keep in mind.

To begin with, you can’t claim exclusive ownership of a title under the copyright laws of the United States.

Case in point: Back in 1978, I wrote a historical romance with a working title of "Tender Betrayal." My editor liked it and let it stand for the published book. Several other authors have liked it over the years, too, as there have been at least four other romance novels with that title!



First Edition, current Amazon price $69.95

So let’s break it down to see why it clicks:

•  The word “Tender” has a soft sound appropriate for the romance genre. It’s also a word with built-in appeal for most people.
• Pairing it with a contrasting word like “Betrayal” sets up immediate tension.
• The two words together imply a story with strong conflict between the main characters.
• They hint at a moral dilemma, which is always a plus.
• One-word and two-word titles are favored in traditional publishing because they show up from a distance when physical books are on display.

So how did I arrive at this title? Using the story I had in mind, I made two lists. One included words that sounded romantic and beguiling. The other used words that were appropriate for the dramatic events in the story. When the two lists were done, I make a third that randomly combined words from the first two. “Tender Betrayal” was the combo that worked best.

A side note here: Titles are included in the copyright protection for most books published outside the U.S. That’s one reason books from the U.S. that are sold in foreign markets are given new titles – they can’t legally have the same title as a previously published work.

Being a fairly organized writer, I still like the “two lists” system of title selection, but there are other methods. Biblical, literary and poetical references have always been popular. Themes work, as do sudden inspirations. Some writers go with whatever is popular at the given moment; as an example, title variations on the words "Shades" and "Gray” have been sadly overused lately. Other words that romance readers seem to like are Bride, Cowboy, Duke, Fiancé, Fiancée, Groom, Highlander, Highlands, Kilt, Mistress, Pirate, Prince, Seduction, Sheikh, Stolen, Taken, Wedding, and so on. Infinite variations on these can be found in romance titles on Amazon.

As e-books have gained in popularity, a different title trend has surfaced. Since these covers are viewed up-close-and-personal on computer, tablet or reader, they are no longer limited to one or two words. It’s still a good idea to make the title easily readable in thumbnail size, but that criteria can be trumped by a longer title with a better sense of story.

Harlequin has been experimenting with longer titles for some of its category lines for a couple of years. The result is books called “The Cost of her Innocence,” “One Night with the Sheikh,” “The Return of Her Past,” etc. As this romance publishing behemoth does nothing without copious and expensive research, these longer titles appear to have proven their worth.

When I set out to write a series of shorter romances as an experiment in independent publishing, I saw no reason not to benefit from Harlequin’s research dime. The titles for the first two books in my Italian Billionaire’s series, then, are “The Tuscan’s Revenge Wedding” and “The Venetian’s Daring Seduction.”

So what’s the title choice for my WIP? Good question!

I’ve been going back and forth on the best way to indicate that the hero is from the Amalfi Coast of Italy. I mean the Italian for that is Amalfitano, and I like it, but will an American audience recognize it? On the other hand, is the Americanized version, Amalfian, any better? Doesn’t Amafitano just sound more Italian, not to mention more heroic? Or will readers recognize the word either way?

Ah, well, I’m seldom sure of a title until I put “The End” on the final page of the manuscript, so I have time to decide. For now, the working title is (Drumroll please!): "The Amalfitano’s Bold Abduction."

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Since publishing her first book at age 27, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Blake has gone on to write over 65 historical and contemporary novels in multiple genres. She brings the story-telling power and seductive passion of the South to her stories, reflecting her 8th-generation Louisiana heritage. Jennifer lives with her husband in northern Louisiana.

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A Prince of a Hero

There they are, the most beattiful of the "Beautiful People" these days in one of the happiest moments of their lives, the prince, Kate and little George. And they're color matched in baby-boy-blue, for the perfect photo-op. You have to smile for the fact that everything turned out so well in their world. Yes, and hope they will always be so blessed.

But the thing that struck me during this presentation of the royal baby, fourth in line to the throne, was this: "He's got her looks, thankfully," Will joked, winking and tipping his head towards his wife.

Now that, guys, is how it's done. That's handsome manners and affection and romance all rolled into one. That just made William a prince of a hero in my book.

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Since publishing her first book at age 27, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Blake has gone on to write over 65 historical and contemporary novels in multiple genres. She brings the story-telling power and seductive passion of the South to her stories, reflecting her 8th-generation Louisiana heritage. Jennifer lives with her husband in northern Louisiana.

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The Anatomy of a Book – The Story Situation

So far I’ve talked about where story ideas come from and naming characters. Scroll down for more of this blog series on how I put a book together.

People tend to think of plotting as a murky business with endless possibilities. While it’s true there are infinite ways for story ideas to play out, most begin with one of only 36 dramatic situations. See here for the complete list of these along with explanations and examples: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thirty-Six_Dramatic_Situations

This list by Georges Polti dates from the late 19^th century and applies mainly to literary fiction. Other writers have simplified it for more commercial work; a quick Internet search will bring up several variations. I’ve actually adapted it for use by romance novelists, which was a fun exercise. But no matter how you look at it, the end result is the same: we have only a limited number of basic situations from which to craft a book.

Examples of romance situations include Star-Crossed Lovers, Love at First Sight, Opposites Attract, Marriage of Convenience, Secret Lover, Boy/Girl Next Door and of course the eternally popular, Secret Baby. These are mere starting points for the creation of stories, however; it’s how you flesh them out and bring your characters into the action that counts.

For my current WIP, the situation choice was practically made for me once I decided to use the Amalfi Coast and a private Mediterranean island as settings. What could be better than an Abducted Heroine scenario? Just think, isolation on that island, no way to escape, no one to interact with other than the self-made billionaire hero. Well, except for the cat named Trouble, of course. The idea has elements of a Stranded on a Desert Isle situation, too, doesn’t it? And that’s not a bad thing, the combining of two types.

Now all I have to do is (1) make this story believable in a contemporary novel, (2) give the hero good and sufficient reason for his action and (3) come up with something for this couple to talk about and do (Well, other than the obvious.) while thrown together for several days. Of the three, the last will probably be the hardest!

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Since publishing her first book at age 27, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Blake has gone on to write over 65 historical and contemporary novels in multiple genres. She brings the story-telling power and seductive passion of the South to her stories, reflecting her 8th-generation Louisiana heritage. Jennifer lives with her husband in northern Louisiana.

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The Anatomy of a Book – Choosing Character Names

Continuing with the nitty-gritty of how I put a book together:
One of the first things I do when creating a new story is name the characters. Names are destiny for fictional people as well as real ones; as you think about the characters they tend to grow into the names you’ve given them. Beyond that, names in contemporary romance novels can be pretty arbitrary. Practically anything goes—except when it doesn't.

For me, the name for a hero needs to be:

• Strong
• Appealing when spoken aloud
• Indicative of his background but not so unusual it puts readers off
• Uncomplicated so easy to type

In the early days of my long career, I made a habit of choosing hero first names that started with an “R.” It began as a private joke: my husband’s name is Jerry Ronald, and my two sons are Ron and Rick. The practice was actually a good move as it turned out; a majority of people in the U.S. like “R” names and feel they are attractive and authoritative. When those books made the best seller lists, however,  I became a bit superstitious. It seemed I had to have a hero with an “R” name or the book might flop.

Andrea Bocelli and his fiancée Veronica Berti

After so long a time, it became too much of a strain to find good "R" monikers, and I didn’t much care for the addictive nature of it. I bit the bullet and began to use names that started with other letters. Even today, though, I feel better if there is an “R” in the name somewhere, even if in the surname!


The heroes for the first two books in my Italian Billionaires series are Nico and Luca. No "Rs" there. So what will the hero for book #3 be called? He'll be Andrea, mainly because I enjoy the music and general persona of the great Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.

http://www.andreabocelli.com/en/#!/home  How’s that for arbitrary?

For a last name, I’m using Tonello. Why? I came across it on a book I was reading last month, “Bringing Home the Birkin” by Michael Tonello, http://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Home-Birkin-Pursuit-Coveted/dp/0061473340. It just seemed right. As simple as that.

Andrea Tonello. Now doesn’t he just sound like a handsome Italian billionaire?

For my heroine, a name should be:

• Attractive when spoken aloud
• Indicative of her personality and background
• Not so unusual as to be cringe-worthy
• Easy to type

Do you get the idea I don’t care for unusual names? They’re fine in some genres, such as fantasy, sci-fi or steam punk, but I’ve never much liked them in romance. How can the reader believe in real love if the heroine's name is super-unrealistic? Besides, anything that could make the  reader pause to wonder “Why on earth?” is automatically bad. Nothing should stop the reader. Ever.

You may also question why I added “Easy to type” to both my lists. I’ll be using these names hundreds of times while writing the book. Having to slow down and type a special name with care is distracting; I hate having to deal with mechanics while in creative mode. Besides, I once named a heroine Félicitè. This was in the days before computers with their Find/Replace and macro functions. Not only was the name a pain to type, but every single accent mark had to be added, laboriously and by hand, to each use of the name in the manuscript. A lesson learned!

So the first name I’ve chosen for my heroine this time around is Dana. It seems slightly androgynous to me so useful for a woman cop, but it isn’t aggressively masculine. It gives me the cool, calm and collected impression I have in mind for the personality of my female protagonist. To go with it as a surname, I’ve chosen Marsden. Why? I haven’t a clue. I was driving down the road a few days ago and it popped into my head. The two names,Dana Marsden, go well together, don’t they? Good enough, as I don’t second-guess gifts from my muse.

Other secondary characters will be included in the book, and assigned names as I go along. The main thing I have to remember about them is to refrain from calling them something that starts with the same first letters as my main characters names.

But there is one other name required. An extremely spoiled and hair-raisingly vocal male cat, a long-haired Siamese seal point, will have a large part in the story. If someone doesn’t come up with something better, his name is going to be Trouble!

Want to take a crack at naming him? Just leave your suggestion as a comment below.

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Since publishing her first book at age 27, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Blake has gone on to write over 65 historical and contemporary novels in multiple genres. She brings the story-telling power and seductive passion of the South to her stories, reflecting her 8th-generation Louisiana heritage. Jennifer lives with her husband in northern Louisiana.

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The Anatomy of a Book – The Big Idea

 How do you come up with story ideas? It’s a question most authors have heard a bazillion times. The answer is—it all depends.

Ideas can come from anywhere and everywhere: a personal experience, news item, chance-heard remark, book that didn’t turn out “right,” or the fleeting glimpse of a person or a place. Sometimes things get started with an unusual character, an intriguing situation or even a theme. Once in a great while a story arrives complete in every detail, like a flower unfurling its petals in the mind. More often, however, it begins with the germ of an idea and develops as bits are added one after the other.

My WIP (Work in Progress) is a case in point. I haven’t quite finalized the title, but it will probably be some variation of THE AMALFI ABDUCTION. The book will be #3 in my current Italian Billionaires series from Steel Magnolia Press. The other two books are THE TUSCAN’S REVENGE WEDDING, and THE VENETIAN’S DARING SEDUCTION, so you can probably see where I’m going with it. I love Italy and the Amalfi Coast is a beautiful area that I enjoyed while visiting there.

So I want to write about the Amalfi Coast and I intend to have an Italian Billionaire hero. Two things decided right off the bat. I also want to use an abduction situation. Why? Because it has interesting possibilities for conflict, humor and sexual tension, all of which I want in this story. With this scenario, it seems convenient to include a private island, and it just happens I’ve read about private islands in the Mediterranean.

Great, three or four initial ideas meshed together.  What next?

Town of Amalfi, Costiera Amalfitana

The Amalfi Coast road snakes along cliffs high above the sea. It’s a stunningly gorgeous drive, but has such sharp bends that it becomes almost a one-lane road in places. Smaller European cars are usually okay, but two large vehicles such as delivery trucks or buses cannot negotiate  some curves at the same time; one of them has to back up into a conveniently placed lay-by. When I was on this road a couple of years ago, we encountered a traffic jam as two big tourist buses met in a curve and neither wanted to back up. Then impatient Italian drivers crowded so close around the buses they could not move forward or back.

So what if my hero in his fancy Italian sports car is caught in such a jam going in one direction, and my heroine in her little rental vehicle is trapped in the other? And what if the heroine is a traffic cop from the U.S. who unsnarls jams all day long?

Why a female traffic cop? I don’t know; it just seems to be what the situation needs. Blame my muse.  You’ll also notice I added a bit of personal experience here to insure a vivid setting.

Okay, we’re getting somewhere.  But why on earth would an OMG handsome Italian who is rich beyond dreams abduct a somewhat too competent American woman? While I was mulling this question a friend happened to mention her extremely vocal and eccentric long-haired Siamese cat. Hmm. What if this incredibly valuable and wily cat escapes its carrier in the hero’s car, and then….

Well, I won’t give away too much of the story, but hopefully this glimpse of my thought processes will illustrate how a story can be put together by piling one idea on top of another.

Next up: Naming the characters.

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Since publishing her first book at age 27, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Blake has gone on to write over 65 historical and contemporary novels in multiple genres. She brings the story-telling power and seductive passion of the South to her stories, reflecting her 8th-generation Louisiana heritage. Jennifer lives with her husband in northern Louisiana.

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