Character Traits

People, especially reviewers, like to tear authors apart for overused traits. For example when we write about our characters biting on their lips or twirling their hair, readers say it’s overdone or boring or whatever. BUT… when I look at myself and other people in real life, what do I see? I bite on my lip when I’m nervous all the time. I see others twirling their hair or biting their nails. So maybe characters are written with those traits because authors themselves have them or know people who have them. If I wrote a character who always hopped up and down on one foot when nervous—just so she would have a more unique trait—would anyone believe that? Or would the character be more believable if they bit on their lip or twirled their hair? 

It's might be overused or overdone, but I'm going to keep writing characters who twirl their hair, bit on their lip, shuffle their weight, or tap their fingers because that's what people do. You don't have to like it, but please think about how odd it would be to read about a character who did absurd things just so readers wouldn't gripe about the same old character traits.

My writing tip? Don't worry about character traits or faults being overdone. Readers should focus on the character overall and the storyline. If it's a good storyline, then who cares if a character twirls her hair or pulls it? Bites on her lip or jumps on her feet? Let the author be and just enjoy the story.

Questions for Writers #4

Last week, I asked whether you like it noisy or quiet when you write. Many of you said you listen to some sort of music. So, here's the next question:

Do you have a playlist for your books? How many songs are on it? Do they fit the story? Or are they songs you enjoyed while writing? Do you post the playlist somewhere?

I do have a playlist for my books. Sometimes it's only one or two songs, and other times it's many more. Mostly, they are songs I think fit the characters or the story line, but sometimes it's just a song that I think these characters would like.

Questions for Writers #3

Do you like it quiet when you write? Or do you like some sort of background noise? TV? Music? Can you write when there are people around talking? Tell me about your writing environment.

Me? I "can" write anywhere. I prefer to write when I can hear myself think, however, 99% of the time I need some background noise. Sometimes it's the TV, but most of the time it's music. Music helps my creative juices flow. Writing when the kids are fighting or whining doesn't go well at all. If I'm writing when that is going on, I have to stop.

Questions for Writers #2

Do you tease a work in progress on your website or blog? Why or why not? If you do and someone criticizes it, do you scratch it completely?

It's something I've been thinking about doing, but I'm extra sensitive about the stuff I'm working on. If it's already published, there's not much I can do, and if it got to that stage then somebody out there liked it enough for me to go ahead with it. But, if I put something new out there and it gets shot down - then I might scratch the whole thing.

So, I'm curious - what do other authors do?

Questions for Writers

What do you do when you have a bunch of story ideas in your head?

Do you grab one and run with it?

Do you jot all your ideas down?

What happens if you're working on one story and another one is pestering you to be written? Do you stop and write it? Or do you continue on with the current one?

If you write a bunch of them, do you find it hard to keep in character?

I have at least 5 really good ideas in my head right now. But, I can't seem to concentrate on just one. I keep flipping between them, writing whatever is coming to me at the moment. It's exhilarating at times, confusing at other times. I'm excited by all of these new possible books, I find myself wishing I could write faster or that there was more time in the day. Maybe one day, one or the other will happen :)