So You Wanna Be a Fiction Novelist: Plot and Characterization

Over the years, I’ve come across oodles of books and articles that have assisted me in overcoming my graphophobia. Now, for your benefit, I have compiled my favorite advice into a condensed format. Most of the advice that follows has been copied from my personal Bible, Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark, and the epiphany-inducing article 3 Tips for Better Writing by Jessica Stawser of Writer’s Digest.

Read more about Chekov’s Guns (especially in Harry Potter) at TV Tropes!

Plot

Foreshadow: Plant important clues early in your story so that you can link later events to earlier ones without the outcome seeming contrived. These clues are often called “Chekov’s Guns,” which are items, characters, skills, or details that may appear insignificant when first introduced, but later become central to the plotline (Harry Potter is flooded with Chekov’s Guns). In the great words of one of my writing mentors, “You should make sure every special skill or gadget needed in the climax is foreshadowed earlier in the story. Coincidences drive a wedge in believability. Foreshadowing removes them.”

Use moral questions instead of themes: This is one of my absolute favorite pieces of advice:

Instead of using the theme “justice,” let the events of the story pose a more engaging question: “What’s more important, telling the truth or protecting the innocent?” Rather than giving the advice, “You should forgive others,” let your story explore a dilemma: “How do you forgive someone who has done the unthinkable to someone you love?” Let your story do more than reiterate the cliché, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” Instead, challenge that axiom by presenting your characters with situations that raise the question, “When do the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many?”

Create obstacles for your characters: Pile up the complications. Once your characters find solutions to a problem, create another obstacle that prevents them from getting what they want. Once they find out where an item is located, have someone else steal it. Once they have a murder suspect, have the suspect die before they can question them (Law and Order loves this one). These are fairly common complications; try to think of ways you can subvert these tropes and make life harder for your characters.

Need a push to get started on that novel? Write 50,000 words in a month with the support of other writers during National Novel Writing Month. (Photo credit: owlbookdreams)

Characterization

Don’t just tell… SHOW: Use details and evidence to demonstrate character qualities. Simplified descriptions of character qualities can help guide you: “His mother was neurotic and overbearing.” To convey these traits, you could have the mother make passive-aggressive comments or frequently call her son when he is out with his friends.

Choose physical descriptions that say something about personality:  Don’t overdo descriptions of physical appearances. Choose a few details that provide insights about character traits. These could include the character’s style of dress, speech quirks, and physical mannerisms. Roy Peter Clark clarifies this idea, saying, “Inexperienced writers may choose the obvious detail, the man puffing on the cigarette, the young woman chewing on what’s left of her fingernails. Those details fail to tell — unless the man is dying of lung cancer or the woman is anorexic.”

Develop backstories and motivation: Our past experiences and relationships determine our future attitudes. If a character is untrusting of others, perhaps a friend betrayed them in the past. Creating believable motivation is especially important for villains. Having antagonists act against the protagonist simply “for the evulz” creates a very two-dimensional character.

Part two coming out next week! So You Wanna Be a Fiction Novelist: Dialogue and Style.