Posted on by Alexie Linn

Profanity in Your Prose – Character Builder? Or Cop-Out?

Profanity in Your Prose – Character Builder? Or Cop-Out?

Do trash-mouthed characters move a story forward? In what way? What do we learn (or teach) from people who seem unable to make a statement or tell a story without vulgarities spewed throughout?

But a tale told without antagonists to spark action is boring to say the least. Not every character in life or fiction is polite, respectful, or happy.

What’s a writer to do?

How can an author build a foul-mouthed, mean, miserable character without spewing offensive expletives throughout the dialogue?

That is the mission of this post… To help you create characters with mind-blowing flaws but make the story reader-friendly and increase your readership base by doing it. It’s all part of the art of emotion-filled prose, my dear.

Do this: Use actions in place of words to build smutty, profanity spewing characters.

Can you love a character who trips handicapped people with their walking stick, cuts full school busses off in traffic, or bullies their way into the front of the line?

He made a fist, his forehead smooshed, he opened his mouth and I quit listening to his story… but trottted away to escape the hot air he spewed.

How about a character who flaunts their wealth while smirking in needy, fire-ravaged or tornado-flattened neighborhoods?

How lovable is a person who spits on the sidewalk in front of you?

What’s the character of a person who tosses litter (or puppies or people) out the door or window?

These are just a few of the ways to build a nasty character without ever having them waste valuable words that move the story forward every step of the way.

What action stabs your instant reject button for an individual in real life?

There is so much more to a person (or character) than the size of their vocabulary… If profanity is required to tell the story… is it a story or a rant?

On that note…

Happy Trails and Tales,

Alexie Linn

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Posted on by Alexie Linn

Shapeshifting Phenomenal Characters – Part 2

Shapeshifting Characters – Part 2

Often a character will reinvent themselves along the way. What I thought was a kohlrabi will morph into an ear of corn – slim with silky hair. I’ve even had them change from blonde pale-skin to a dyed blonde black-skin.

You were a Kohlrabi in the beginning…

I have learned to let them shift, nestle into themselves, and become who they really are. The hard part is editing their character from the beginning when they pull shenanigans like black to white – or white to black. I only hope that they do it soon instead of waiting until the story is ¾ of the way through.

And, since I have to literally become each of these characters, the question my other half asks at the door is… “Who are you? What have you done with Alexie?”

This shapeshifting is so fresh in my mind because two of the individuals in my current work in progress have stolen Chapter 23.

I thought Jerry was a body building blonde displaced surfer… but then he tells me he’s a body building black man from the Watusi tribe that dyes his hair blonde. Then he hints that he might be Ralph, the big, burly, gruff café owner’s lover. Yikes! What’s a writer to do?

Let them have their way. It’s their story. Personas have to be allowed to improv as they see fit lest they lose their dimensional qualities and become flat. You, the writer, are committed to working it in and flex around their quirks.

High quality writing is so much more than throwing words on paper. The words have to ebb and flow according to the people, the story their showing, and make perfect sense. It all could – and often did – happen.

Happy Character Building,

Alexie Linn

P.S. Since this new, finely focused blog is just getting started, the easiest way to get updates is to follow me on Facebook.  New posts should post on the Alexie Linn page – if I’ve held my chin right… 😊

If you only want updates of new releases of Books, Vellas and Audibles, the easiest way is to follow me on Amazon.

Posted on by Alexie Linn

Shapeshifting Characters Rule

Shapeshifting Characters Rule

As a reader, how do you connect with characters in a story? What pulls you into the chat, the treasure hunt, or the car careening down the mountain with no brakes?

Characters are shapeshifters

For me, character description plays a part. But less is more.  Too much detail all at once will prevent me from participating in the story because I’m trying to picture the character instead of holding the ladder for his or her escape.

Here are the rules I use.

Add physical description details if:

  • It will further the story – You’re making a police report on a culprit or missing person
  • It emphasizes a quirk of the character – the empty space where there should have been a finger had to have been a challenge when he shaved his head daily to keep it shiny.
  • It sets the mood – I focused on the moon reflecting from his shiny head, not the black circles around his demonic eyes. That’s how I played dead.

Work the shapeshifting details in when it’s appropriate to give your characters dimension.

A private eye might list the height, weight, hair color (or none), clothing, and stature. But have you ever met someone on the street and walked away with a detailed physical description? If you do, that’s your quirk. Write yourself into a story!

Physical description can be worked in with memories.

 ‘I pictured the limp, the flowered cotton dress that swayed and flounced with every step. It drags the ground on her short body. I shivered at the cleaning nightmare for that dress. When I saw the dress dragging the ground, it blanked out the hairdo that looked like she’d stuck her finger in a light socket.’

Flesh out the character’s physical description through the actions – the limp, the dragging dress, and the unruly hair. The physical description, detailed relevantly, adds to the rounding out of a character’s personality.

And there you have the next crucial step to building a character readers can connect with.

Happy tales and trails,

Alexie Linn, the Author

P.S. Since this new, finely focused blog is just getting started, the easiest way to get updates is to follow me on Facebook. New posts should post on the Alexie Linn page – if I’ve held my chin right… 😊

Posted on by Alexie Linn

How to Plant a Captivating, Quirky Character Garden to Prompt Your Writing Process

How to Plant a Captivating, Quirky Character Garden to Prompt Your Writing Process

Captivating characters are cultivated…

Captivating characters aren’t born. They’re cultivated. You, the writer, plant the seed, water it, fertilize it (with the good stuff or manure), and get out of its way. You’ll need to prune it now and again, but a character will take on a fascinating life of its own if you let it.

Captivating characters start with a quirk…

Start with a quirk

When I’m out and about in the world, I pay attention to people. And, yes, at times, I compare an individual to a garden fruit or vegetable. What makes them memorable?

An individual’s head (or hair) style could be a fruitful starting point.

When I see a person with a shaved bare head, they might become a melonhead. Are they a cantaloupe (rough skinned and lightly veined), a honeydew (smooth and Martian-like), or an oblong shaped watermelon? Why do they choose to shave their head? They’re not lazy. It’s a lot of work to keep one’s head as polished as a bowling ball.

Ask them (or yourself) ‘Why shave their head?’ Is it for:

  • Cleanliness
  • As a clique ritual
  • To be closer to their god
  • They thrive on tempting melanoma fate
  • They’re rebelling against hair stylists or comb manufacturers
  • He or she wants to be loved for their personality – not their good looks
  • They’re in the depths of chemotherapy and prefer shiny bald to patchy clumps of hair

The answer to this question could be the quirk you need in the writing process to plant an enchanting character like Joan Freed.

Joan Freed — In the Beginning…

Joan Freed started out as a Hubbard squash. Hard-shelled, soft inside, imperfect shape, nourishing, and is there for the long haul. She has many quirks. They grew from the previous life she lived. Joan would never take the time or attention to shave or maintain a shaved head. Mirrors are far and few between… is she a covert vampire?

An excellent writing prompt in the writing process is to: 1) Find the quirk. 2)Listen to it. 3)Water it. 4)Fertilize it. 5)And prune it only as necessary. But let he or she mature into a robust, entertaining, and steadfast character that readers will love.

And that’s the Voila! A star is born.

Happy Character Gardening…

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