I received an email the other night from a fellow blogger that my main character would be featured in her Treatment Tuesday article on her blog, here.
The blog, written by a licensed therapist, takes character sketches and uses them to break down the motivations and actions of people in your novel.
To a writer, this is a great tool. I want my characters to be complex, layered individuals that the reader likes. You have to want to cheer for them, yell that they are being stupid, or hope for them to get the guy in the end. On the other hand, you can’t have a ‘Shrinking Violet’ whipping out a pistol and chasing down a bad guy, unless you’ve sufficiently motivated her to do so.
So I sketched out the main character for my next book, Ruby Dawn, and sent it in to the Character Therapist blog. I had a lot of questions about a series of calamities that Ruby faces, such as how she would react given her troubled past. I also had a few questions about closure in her life over familial abandonment, and a returning love interest.
I have to say, Jeannie did a wonderful job addressing my questions and offering sage advice. It was a fun experience and I feel like it helped me to confirm that I am on the right track. Feel free to hop over to the blog, there is a link in the first sentence of this entry, and The Character Therapist is also in my blog roll on the side bar. I’d love to know what you think.
Thanks again for all of your support and encouragement!
