A Random Thursday in February

Can't ... think ... or write ... at ... normal speed.

Curse you, New Hampshire winter!

That's Why I Chose Yale

I just love this. It's campy-cool, like the show GLEE.

Should I Self-Publish?

I love my book. But the lit agents haven't beaten down my door yet.

So, Plan B: self-publishing.

I'm considering it. I think I'd go print-on-demand, probably through CreateSpace or Lulu. I have a script-doctor taking a look at it now, since I want some kind of editorial review on it.

I'd also need a publicist. Got any recommendations?

I'm considering an unorthodox business model. What would happen if I gave the downloadable version of MINDER away for free? Would people be interested enough to pay for copies of the rest of the series? I think book 2, ADVERSARY, is getting pretty polished. I could have it ready in a month or two. Thousands of free copies of MINDER would get my name and my book out there, but they might cheapen my "brand." So I don't know.

Thoughts, anyone?

You know you're the Main Character in a ...

... YA novel if: you're sixteen and dealing with things that fill you with angst.

... YA paranormal romance if: you're sixteen and in love with a vampire/werewolf/fairy/angel/fallen angel/telekinetic. And it fills you with angst.

... mystery novel if: you trip over at least one dead body in the first three chapters, and then someone makes a comment about how they do things on CSI.

... romance novel if: certain naughty bits on you and/or your irresistible love interest are heaving, throbbing, surging, etc.

... historical romance novel: if this occurs while the lace of your bodice is ripping, and/or someone makes a double-entendre involving his sword.

Please add to the list!

On the Road

I'm traveling to a training session today, and will be wicked busy for the rest of the week.

You know you have three little kids when a 9-hour training session seems like a vacation.

Anyhoo, to keep you busy, here's a fun link: http://xkcd.com

Character Development

In one of my many day jobs, I am learning leadership development training. One of the foundations of the methods we use is Porter's Motivational Value System (MVS). It shares some similarities with Myers-Briggs, but is superior in many ways.

Here's the nutshell:

People have different things that motivate them.

Some people truly want to help others and make them happy (BLUE).
Some people want to be independent, get things right, and make every detail perfect (GREEN).
Some people want to be in action, take on challenges, and win (RED).

Every person is a mix of these three motivations. If one of the three MVS groupings really captures them, they are a Red, Blue, or Green.

Some people are blends of two, such as Red-Greens, Blue-Greens, or Blue-Reds. And some people are blends of all three; they are called Hubs.

So, why am I bringing this up? Well, this stuff is FANTASTIC when doing character development. Before I even write the first line of dialogue for a new character, I figure out a bunch about him or her and fill out a character sheet. I started doing this after reading Orson Scott Card's book, ELEMENTS OF WRITING FICTION.

Here's my adapted character sheet:

NAME :
MVS :
ACTIONS :
PAST :
REPUTATION :
STEREOTYPES – (play on & violate) :
NETWORK – (work v home) :
NORMAL V STRESS :
HABITS & PATTERNS :
TALENTS & ABILITIES :
TASTES & PREFERENCES :
BODY

Of all of these things, though, the most important thing for me is the MVS. If I know what the character wants, then I know what he or she will say and do, and how they will go about it. Notice that only the final aspect has to do with physical appearance. If your character development is:

Martha is tall, thin, and has straight-brown hair, then no one is going to care about Martha.

However, if Martha is the kind of person who defends her friends and loved ones like a mother bear, who thinks all forms of cheese are evil, and absentmindedly twirls her hair when she's thinking, she suddenly seems much more real, right?

Careful, or you'll end up in my novel

Many of my characters are based on real people. Friends, relatives, and ex-boyfriends all find their way into my work. In MINDER, I knew I needed to flesh out one of the characters (Dr. Williamson). But had no idea who the man was -- until I shared a cab in New York last April. By the time we'd arrived at Penn Station, I knew I'd just shared a cab with Dr. Williamson.

I called an old friend last night, because I realized that a character I'm developing for my next book, BOOLA, is basically her. She's cool with it. And it helps that the character, Stef, gets most of the best lines.

So, fellow writers, where do you get your character inspirations? Fellow readers, how would you feel if you recognized yourself in a friend's book?

How about in an ex-girlfriend's book? Would you admit it?