In one of the continuing education classes from the ACFW conference, author Gayle Roper posed some questions writers should ask when writing a novel. Here are some of them:
Why are you writing this story?
If you can’t answer that question, then that could mean trouble. Knowing why keeps us focused when our stories start to drift.
Can you explain your novel in 20 words?
Yikes! 20 words! Here’s a bigger challenge: Can you do it without using cliche generalities? Can you be very specific, so that whoever may be listening can get a sense of your story’s essence?
What is your character arc?
How does the main character change from the beginning of the novel to the end? Also, if you write for the CBA, what is the spiritual arc?
What is your main character’s personality type and how does it conflict with the antagonist or romantic lead?
Here is a model of four personality types based on four humors of the body (something a bit simpler than the Meyer-Briggs model):
- Sanguine – outgoing, extroverted, the “life of the party”, looking for fun and a good time, unorganized, forgetful, make friends easily
- Choleric – a d0er, a Martha, an ambitious person who likes to be in control, these are often leaders, extroverted
- Melancholic – the creative, reflective introvert, a perfectionist, these people often feel deeply and think deeply
- Phlegmatic – passive, easygoing, agreeable, often introverted, relaxed, affectionate, a people-pleaser, avoids conflict
Think how differently these character types would interact. How might you play with these in order to maximize conflict? How might a certain personality type affect your character’s relationship with God?
Are your characters likable?
Even the bad guys? Have you built in something (a pet-the-dog moment) that allows your audience to identify with them? Basically, you want to humanize all of your characters. Make them easy to identify with.
What are your characters’ back stories and how do they affect the story “now”?
What kind of family did they come from? A family that encouraged or discouraged? How does this shape the way in which your character sees the world? And is this perception accurate, or way off? How does it impact the decisions they make in the present story world?
Those are just some of the questions I took away from Gayle’s class. I’d love to know…
What question do you find most useful? What other questions might be helpful to consider when writing a novel? And for fun – what personality type are you?
All of these are so important and I am finally learning the necessity of each of them. Good way to put it all together.
Great questions. My character's pasts are so important to me. Usually, they are overcoming a trauma or immaturity throughout the book, and I need to be crystal clear on why they act the way they do.
hello there thanks for your grat post, as usual ((o:
Great questions, Katie.
I am sold on the explain your novel in twenty words or less.
LOVE hearing people do it well…whether as BCC or in person.
And I usually buy/endorse/influence the book.
Patti
Welcome back, Katie!
I'm always interested in characters and how they interact. I have to work more on my villain. He's a bit too stereotypical.
The writers who are not preachers should be able to write succinctly!
Great questions to print and hang next to my computer!
I love the personality types. My huband thinks It is funny that I like to put people into categories and tell him what type they are.
I'm melancholy choleric almost right down the middle.
20 words or less… not only would I need to think about what I was saying-but I'd have to count the words too! AHH! Too much in my brain! :0)
These are great questions! I'm going to go through them with my novel. Thanks!
Focus! Thank you- I needed to read #1 today… why am I writing this?
Great questions. I think the hardest is saying what your novel is about in 20 words, yikes.
Those are some great questions–some I should probably be asking myself about my current WIP.
I always have a hard time explaining my story in 20 words or less without being general. I think that and having a beginning that really hooks readers are two of the biggest challenges for me. Thanks for listing those questions–they're going to be very helpful!
This is why I don't write novels. Too many questions to answer; too many things to go wrong. EEEEKKK!
You know I'm a sanguine, right? With choleric secondary tendencies. Not a shy bone in my body, want to do everything the fun way, but I'm a diligent worker.
Mashing my plots into 20 words or less is getting easier with practice. It really is a learned skill, and I haven't perfected the art, yet, but still force myself to try on a regular basis–because I'm a perfectionist. A melancholic to the extreme. Sometimes I wish I were sanguine, but trying makes me more melancholic. 🙂
I haven't listened to this session yet, but your questions posted here have made me move it up the list! 🙂
I love to ask "what's the conflict in this scene?" and "is the dialogue war in this scene?"
I took a personality-typing class once and found that there was a lot of prejudgment from many women about certain personality types. Many comments were made that favored the sanguine and phlegmatic types, while there was open criticism of choleric types, especially. Melancholic seemed to be neutral.
That interested me because choleric types are leadership personalities. And women do come in choleric types, but we are usually conditioned *not* to act like that–not to be direct, not to show leadership, not to face conflict squarely and try to resolve it.
Just a little side note someone might find useful. If I make my female character a choleric type, she may have trouble with other women in the novel! 🙂
Oooh sounds like a fantastic class!
I'm half choleric and half phlegmatic. (If that's possible) LOL
The character arc question is what I look at most. That typically drives my story the most.
Awesome bullet points, Katie! I've just started the rough draft for my 3rd novel, and these are timely considerations for me.
Yikes. That describe-in-20-words is what always gets me. 😛
After my first draft, one of my toughest questions was, "Was my MC likeable?" It should be a no brainer, but making sure a tough-girl character is likeable was challenging for me. I loved her, but making sure her actions made the reader truly care about her was something I had to work on. Hopefully, I've corrected that!
Character arc keeps me most on track.
It's like God smashed all those into one person when He made me. But if I had to choose, I'd go with melancholic. (I'm not a perfectionist though.)
I'm tweeting this, printing this, doing a tap dance on it once it comes out of the printer, etc.
Excellent post, Katie!
~ Wendy
The most important question for me is "Are the characters likeable?".
I recently read a book that was from a romance line I don't usually follow. I didn't like it. I couldn't decide why because the plot was interesting and well planned. The writing wasn't fabulous, but it wasn't bad. It finally hit me, I could not stand the main character. If I had met her in person, I would have no interest in getting to know her.
Probably not the reaction the author was hoping for!
Just for fun~ I am mostly Choleric with a touch of Phlegmatic. I am an extrovert who like to make people happy. I don't seek conflict, but I don't avoid it.
I sat in on this class too. 🙂 I love using personality assessments to develop my characters, and I really like how you framed it…use those personalities to maximize conflict.
These are great questions to ask ourselves! I'm outlining a new novel right now (I'm going to let my newly finished WIP cool) and I want to have a real clear vision of my new world. I'll be implementing these questions as I work on my story line. Thank you!
Those are all great questions, Katie! Great reminders to me as I think about the next book. As a matter of fact, I'm pulling out several of my writing craft books, reading a couple of new ones, and trying to refresh myself before plunging in!
Glad to have you back from your break. (I'm taking one this week…I know, I couldn't resist reading a few blogs!)
I am a phlegmatic. Definitely a people pleaser, no conflict kind of gal.
I love the question about a character's arc. I think that's so important and so difficult for me to do naturally. Maybe a few more stories under my belt will help develop that better.
Nice post, Katie!