Writing is hard...

[ThinkAnarchy]

So I have a decent idea for a story, although it is probably suffering from some cliche plot points I haven't recognized yet. I know what my characters are likely to do within the confines of said plot. But for the life of me, I can't figure out a believable back story for the motivations behind their actions. Everything I write down seems like an obvious, and "done to death," history. Example, "His son died and the thought continues to haunt him because he didn't respond in time." That isn't good, but I seem unable to think of something better for my career military character who is in his retirement age.

The characters are beginning to talk to me, but they talk as if they are characters I've previously read. They begin to take on the persona of my favorite heroes or anti-hero's. I wrote two chapters of a planned novella and hit a block. So I than started noting what the story should be and it evolved into a novel. But my characters are not evolving so naturally.

I'm wondering if anyone would be willing to describe what they find to be interesting personality traits in real life individuals. Granted, that doesn't exactly help with the backstory. It may, however, trigger my mind into thinking in a different fashion. I would love to have a comic relief character, that is possibly witty, but I'm not confident I could write that character effectively.

I suppose I'm asking; what traits do you find interesting in the people you interact with daily? This includes physical interactions and online personalities.

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds.  

[Tank]

I like people who have a great imagination who can take an idea and run with it to places I hadn't thought of. I like people who aren't judgemental but know their mind. Honesty is essential.

[ThinkAnarchy]

I like people who have a great imagination who can take an idea and run with it to places I hadn't thought of. I like people who aren't judgemental but know their mind. Honesty is essential.

Thanks for the suggestion. I may work that character trait into someone, but it doesn't fit my retired vet. He isn't a leader and doesn't have much of an imagination. He is more of a "follow orders" type personality, though he does question the morality of many of his actions.

I do have a character in mind who could exhibit those traits though. Thank you very much.

[Tank]

The retired military chap could have been thwarted by political interference eg Vietnam. He was never allowed to shine because of this and still wishes he could fight the way he wants to, not the way he has been forced to.

Equally he could have had a shining career that was shortened by promotion which he took for family reasons only to find when he got home he could no longer stand his wife and ends up divorced and needing to get back into action.

[ThinkAnarchy]

Equally he could have had a shining career that was shortened by promotion which he took for family reasons only to find when he got home he could no longer stand his wife and ends up divorced and needing to get back into action.

I have read the above quote multiple times and it continues to resonate in my mind. Thanks, I will mull this one around for a while. It would allow for a detailed understanding of the character even if I never mention everything in the book. This idea seems to be evolving naturally in my head. It also doesn't seem overly done, like my initial thought.

Added This also fits into some other aspects I have already thought of. It seems to be a logical reason for the characters motivations.

[DeterminedJuliet]

If it makes you feel any better, there really isn't such a thing as an "original" idea. Everything is a mish-mash of reference and outside influence. I wouldn't worry about cliche so much, but whether it's something that YOU care about enough to be able to write about convincingly.

Finding someone whose writing you respect to read over your stuff and give you feedback is also really valuable. Even the best writers need another pair of eyes to pick up on some things that you'll miss.

My two cents, anyhoo. 

[xSilverPhinx]

I like characters that surprise me basically, with complex personalities and motivations. Black-and-white isn't good. Plots that revolve around cognitive dissonances, such as The Asimolated Tank's retired military chap are a good idea.

Also, if you're having difficulty developing your characters, you could develop something else. Take a cliche and run with it, perhaps. I can stand cliches, I just don't like all the formulas for writing a best-seller with little substance

Do you have an anti-hero?

[Tank]

John is your ex-military guy.

John sat on the edge of the sofa in his living room. His service pistol lay on the coffee table in front of him. He started at it. He was at a turning point, possibly the last one he would ever contemplate. The life he thought he had was gone, that was for sure. The question that possessed him now was what new life could lie ahead of him, if any?

He hadn't slept and now the sun was just beginning to make its presence felt as the sky grew lighter and woke the birds up.  He shivered involuntarily. The movement catalysed his thoughts. Picking up the gun he walked to the front door and took his car keys off the hook beside it.  He went outside, shutting the door behind him. But he couldn't be bothered to lock it.

John drove off into his future. Whatever it was to be fate would decide, today.

[ThinkAnarchy]

If it makes you feel any better, there really isn't such a thing as an "original" idea. Everything is a mish-mash of reference and outside influence. I wouldn't worry about cliche so much, but whether it's something that YOU care about enough to be able to write about convincingly.

True, and I remember being taught in English class as a child that even Shakespeare's plays were rehashes of earlier works. I have seen it claimed and refuted since, but have never been a fan of Bill, so never bothered to look to deeply. 

Finding someone whose writing you respect to read over your stuff and give you feedback is also really valuable. Even the best writers need another pair of eyes to pick up on some things that you'll miss.

My two cents, anyhoo. 

Thank you very much for your two cents.  I suppose I will flip through some Orson Scott Card books to see how he developed his characters. Ender's Game is one of my favorite books, so I imagine I will remember a lot once I start reading.

[ThinkAnarchy]

I like characters that surprise me basically, with complex personalities and motivations. Black-and-white isn't good. Plots that revolve around cognitive dissonances, such as The Asimolated Tank's retired military chap are a good idea.

Also, if you're having difficulty developing your characters, you could develop something else. Take a cliche and run with it, perhaps. I can stand cliches, I just don't like all the formulas for writing a best-seller with little substance

Do you have an anti-hero?

Yeah, I have never liked black and white or two-dimensional characters either. I have been able to enjoy books with weak characters and strong plots too. I find a lot of authors tend to suffer in one area or another. With the Hunger Games the plot and Katniss were well thought out and believable, put I felt the author's writing was a little lacking. I still thought it was a great book though.

I also agree whole heartedly agree with that last statement. I tried reading Twilight to see what all the fuss was about a while back and had to quit around Chapter 5. Nothing had really happened, the writing was awful, and every single character that was introduced was annoying as hell. Granted, it was meant for young girls, so that could explain why I hated everyone in the book and why I despised the author even more.

I may start with a cliched character and see what tweaks I could make to him. Something to make them stand out a bit.

Now that I think about it, with Orson Scott Card, I got to know many of his characters intimately. I can imagine how Peter, Ender, and many other characters behaved off the pages, and what their actions would have been like in other situations. I'm thinking he is really good with character development, but I haven't read any of his books in several years.

AddedI haven't decided if I want an anti-hero or simply a flawed hero. I'm also not sure if I want the male or female character to be the main character in the story. I have always found anti-heros to be fun though. I like the mixture of emotions they make me feel when done well.

[ThinkAnarchy]

John is your ex-military guy.

John sat on the edge of the sofa in his living room. His service pistol lay on the coffee table in front of him. He started at it. He was at a turning point, possibly the last one he would ever contemplate. The life he thought he had was gone, that was for sure. The question that possessed him now was what new life could lie ahead of him, if any?

He hadn't slept and now the sun was just beginning to make its presence felt as the sky grew lighter and woke the birds up.  He shivered involuntarily. The movement catalysed his thoughts. Picking up the gun he walked to the front door and took his car keys off the hook beside it.  He went outside, shutting the door behind him. But he couldn't be bothered to lock it.

John drove off into his future. Whatever it was to be fate would decide, today.

I like that, it is a nice basis for some of his actions and their consequences. It is something I probably wouldn't include in the actual book, but it provides a better understanding of the character's back story. I'm also thinking of several different possibilities as to what could lead to him leaving his home in that fashion.

Thanks for triggering a new line of thinking.

I will have to think about it more tomorrow though. I didn't get nearly enough sleep last night and my mind is mush right now. 

[Tank]

John is your ex-military guy.

John sat on the edge of the sofa in his living room. His service pistol lay on the coffee table in front of him. He started at it. He was at a turning point, possibly the last one he would ever contemplate. The life he thought he had was gone, that was for sure. The question that possessed him now was what new life could lie ahead of him, if any?

He hadn't slept and now the sun was just beginning to make its presence felt as the sky grew lighter and woke the birds up.  He shivered involuntarily. The movement catalysed his thoughts. Picking up the gun he walked to the front door and took his car keys off the hook beside it.  He went outside, shutting the door behind him. But he couldn't be bothered to lock it.

John drove off into his future. Whatever it was to be fate would decide, today.

I like that, it is a nice basis for some of his actions and their consequences. It is something I probably wouldn't include in the actual book, but it provides a better understanding of the character's back story. I'm also thinking of several different possibilities as to what could lead to him leaving his home in that fashion.

Thanks for triggering a new line of thinking.

I will have to think about it more tomorrow though. I didn't get nearly enough sleep last night and my mind is mush right now. 

I was thinking about 'john' and how one could start his narrative. Something like this raises the question of what will happen next. Will he kill himself? Will he kill somebody else? Is he going to attempt to right a wrong? Why didn't he lock the door? Does he know he's not coming back or doesn't he care?

[ThinkAnarchy]

I was thinking about 'john' and how one could start his narrative. Something like this raises the question of what will happen next. Will he kill himself? Will he kill somebody else? Is he going to attempt to right a wrong? Why didn't he lock the door? Does he know he's not coming back or doesn't he care?

Well, I don't want give much away about the plot, but I was thinking about starting the story with him arriving at an assistant living home. The way I'm currently envisioning him, he is too old to really fight. I was having the most trouble trying to figure out his life story prior to the book and his personality. I do like the questions it raises though. I'm also still not convinced that is the place I want to start. I could start it at his old home before leaving for the assistant living home or even at a third location I have been thinking of that would add some suspense right out the gate.

[Tank]

I was thinking about 'john' and how one could start his narrative. Something like this raises the question of what will happen next. Will he kill himself? Will he kill somebody else? Is he going to attempt to right a wrong? Why didn't he lock the door? Does he know he's not coming back or doesn't he care?

Well, I don't want give much away about the plot, but I was thinking about starting the story with him arriving at an assistant living home. The way I'm currently envisioning him, he is too old to really fight. I was having the most trouble trying to figure out his life story prior to the book and his personality. I do like the questions it raises though. I'm also still not convinced that is the place I want to start. I could start it at his old home before leaving for the assistant living home or even at a third location I have been thinking of that would add some suspense right out the gate.

Please don't take any of my suggestions too seriously. I'm just feeding fuel into your fire. Do with it what you will. Stories are very personal things they can't be constructed by committee but sometimes suggestions can fill in gaps and/or inspire new ideas. All I'm doing is being a foil for you to work off.

[Amicale]

Great conversation about the character, so far. I also like characters that have complexities, quirks, flaws. After all, when we consider someone a hero, they're almost never a 'saint'. Maybe he had to kill someone when he didn't want to? Maybe he's visiting a cemetery for some unknown reason that we'll discover later? Maybe he's stored something in a warehouse or storage facility? Maybe he has to visit someone he hasn't seen for years, and that triggers memories or a possible future chain of events? Just a few possibilities there.

When I write, I'm like you. The characters get in my head, and the story seems to write itself. Often I don't know the character's full background, but the more I get to know their personality, the more I can guess at how they'd respond to certain situations in their past.

If you're in need of an editor, or constructive feedback on what you currently have, I'm happy to volunteer to look over anything for you -- not that I'm by any means some sort of expert, but one of the jobs I do is editing work for others, so there are certain angles I'd love to look for, for you. If you'd sooner work on it by yourself though, of course, no problemo.