by Bobbie Christmas
Q: I have a challenge with keeping up with the characters in a trilogy I’m writing. From one book to another I forget small details that could be embarrassing. For example, I have messed up and given a character blue eyes in one of the books and hazel eyes in the next book. Is there a secret to keeping up with characters in a series?
A: Whether you write a single novel or a series, I recommend keeping a written list of traits for each character. I address that issue in my book Write In Style, where I include a Character Trait Chart that readers can copy and fill out for each character. The chart asks for things such as name, aliases, birth date, hobbies, physical description, education, handicaps or flaws, problem or conflict, and so on. It goes into great detail, and you can imagine all the details authors need to know about each main or returning character. If you fill in the details of each character in a chart form, every time a character appears in a scene, you can look up that character’s trait chart to ensure consistency. I don’t sit down and fill out these charts in advance, though. Instead I start a chart for each character and then add to it whenever the character appears, does something significant, or is talked about, so that the next time that character appears, I can check to be sure the character’s description, actions, motivation, and other details are always consistent. The information in the charts grows longer each time the character reveals more about himself or herself by appearing in a scene.
Q: My fiancée thinks I should change my main character to a woman, to make my novel more marketable. What say you?
A: Marketability is something to consider, but few men can write well from a feminine point of view. If you do not feel confident writing from the perspective of the opposite sex, the book will be less marketable, not more marketable. Show caution with any suggestion; always follow your writer’s gut. We all have things we do instinctively, and we do them for a reason.
I’m a woman, so I write from a woman’s point of view. The one time I tried to write from a male perspective, the men in my critique circle pointed out serious flaws in the thoughts and actions of my male character. Few of us understand the opposite sex. I say stick with what you know.
Q: One of my characters is a ghost, and I’m really not sure how to have him reply in dialogue. Should I write that my protagonist is hearing him (she heard) versus “he said” or “he answered?”
A: My guess is that you have not ever met a ghost. If you had, you would know they talk in normal dialogue. Yes, I met one, and she spoke my name clearly and out loud. I didn’t merely hear her in my head, and her voice was not even a whisper. Her speech didn’t include any “woo” sounds as they might in a cartoon. After my encounter with a ghost, I would use ghost dialogue the same as if the person were alive and present in the flesh. As an author, however, you may choose to use whatever method feels right for you.
Q: When a character speaks in dialogue, are terms of endearment such as honey, love, buddy, etc., always capitalized?
A: The Chicago Manual of Style has always preferred to lowercase pet names and terms of endearment unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence.
Examples:
“I love you, honey, but your feet sure stink.”
“Hey, buddy, can you spare a dime?”
“Ma’am, may I be of help?”
Bobbie Christmas, book editor, author of Write In Style: Use Your Computer to Improve Your Writing, and owner of Zebra Communications, will answer your questions, too. Send them to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. Read Bobbie’s Zebra Communications blog.