I just found out CROSSED OUT is available for the Kindle!
http://www.amazon.com/Crossed-Out-ebook/dp/B00418450I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AZC9TZ4UC9CFC&s=digital-text&qid=1283207960&sr=1-1
Also at these places:
http://www.trapeziumebooks.com/index.php?route=product%2Fproduct&product_id=1056
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-crossedout-450798-140.html
Plus, next month I'll be giving away a signed copy at Anne Marie Write's Live Journal:
http://annemariewrites.livejournal.com/45428.html
Check out the contest and the other fab YA prizes you can win!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sew Needy
I'm going to do it. Yep. I'm going to get me a new sewing machine. Now, while this might not sound like a huge deal to most of you, let me tell you that for me, it is a very huge deal.
You see, I don't like to sew. Let me clarify that. I HATE to sew. I despise it. So much that I GAVE my other sewing machine away. In fact, I paid to have it shipped clear across the USA to the east coast. That's how much I hate sewing.
So, why am I getting another machine? Because I have been forced to admit that I cannot do some of this repair work on clothes by hand. I need help. Mechanical help. Another mocking monster in the backroom.
Sometimes my writing is like that. I need help. Something to make me realize that I can't do this alone. I need input, someone to spur me on. A cheering squad of a kind. Not that they always have to be positive - nothing was ever gained by just having everyone clap and nod and smile and say "it's perfect". Nothing is ever perfect. There is always something we can improve on. Especially with writing.
I need a critique group. A real, face-to-face group of people who can coax me in the right direction. A group who can get me excited about creating once again. And that is not an easy task, really.
There are several groups that meet around me. But one meets at a local restaurant. I just can't think about writing when I'm listening to the clitter-clatter of silverware on plate, of slurping and sipping, of kids little high-pitched voices asking for more juice or complaining about why they have to eat their veggies.
Another group met in the library, where I was afraid to speak up, lest the librarian rush over and shush me. And the content of my WIP was such that I was a little worried about just whom might be listening in the next aisle over.
Years back, I was with a group that met in a writing instructors home. It wasn't a huge group, but it worked out wonderfully. We read aloud from our WIP, which is a tremendous help to me. I need to hear my words. It helps me see where I might need to clarify, which words I used too much, which ones I use wrong, etc. And, because it was in a home, with no outside distractions, I could be at ease with my words.
Most of the groups that I've looked into now are more electronic than I want to be. They send in their chapters, everyone reads and they get together to discuss the WIP, not to hear it. For some reason, that doesn't work for me. I need to hear it, mine and the others. Sure, reading along is ok, but I still like to hear the words.
So, I wait. For that elusive grouping of people of like mind. Face to face. Speaking. Reading. Offering help.
Much like my little sewing machine. I have to make peace with the silly thing in order to move forward. Just as I have to make peace with the way things are done now in critique groups in order to move forward. Buying a sewing machine is so much easier. I think. Or it might find its way to the east coast, too.
You see, I don't like to sew. Let me clarify that. I HATE to sew. I despise it. So much that I GAVE my other sewing machine away. In fact, I paid to have it shipped clear across the USA to the east coast. That's how much I hate sewing.
So, why am I getting another machine? Because I have been forced to admit that I cannot do some of this repair work on clothes by hand. I need help. Mechanical help. Another mocking monster in the backroom.
Sometimes my writing is like that. I need help. Something to make me realize that I can't do this alone. I need input, someone to spur me on. A cheering squad of a kind. Not that they always have to be positive - nothing was ever gained by just having everyone clap and nod and smile and say "it's perfect". Nothing is ever perfect. There is always something we can improve on. Especially with writing.
I need a critique group. A real, face-to-face group of people who can coax me in the right direction. A group who can get me excited about creating once again. And that is not an easy task, really.
There are several groups that meet around me. But one meets at a local restaurant. I just can't think about writing when I'm listening to the clitter-clatter of silverware on plate, of slurping and sipping, of kids little high-pitched voices asking for more juice or complaining about why they have to eat their veggies.
Another group met in the library, where I was afraid to speak up, lest the librarian rush over and shush me. And the content of my WIP was such that I was a little worried about just whom might be listening in the next aisle over.
Years back, I was with a group that met in a writing instructors home. It wasn't a huge group, but it worked out wonderfully. We read aloud from our WIP, which is a tremendous help to me. I need to hear my words. It helps me see where I might need to clarify, which words I used too much, which ones I use wrong, etc. And, because it was in a home, with no outside distractions, I could be at ease with my words.
Most of the groups that I've looked into now are more electronic than I want to be. They send in their chapters, everyone reads and they get together to discuss the WIP, not to hear it. For some reason, that doesn't work for me. I need to hear it, mine and the others. Sure, reading along is ok, but I still like to hear the words.
So, I wait. For that elusive grouping of people of like mind. Face to face. Speaking. Reading. Offering help.
Much like my little sewing machine. I have to make peace with the silly thing in order to move forward. Just as I have to make peace with the way things are done now in critique groups in order to move forward. Buying a sewing machine is so much easier. I think. Or it might find its way to the east coast, too.
Monday, August 30, 2010
How I Coaxed the Caterpillar Out of Its Cocoon
From February 2001, through December 2005, I wrote a monthly column, Advice from a Caterpillar at Writing World.com. The original column, which was geared for children’s writers, was my idea. It was based on the notion that, even though I’m one of those “authors you’ve never heard of”, I had been (in 2001) working as a professional writer and editor for 25 years, and knew a lot about the business. I also knew my way around the internet, so it was easy for me to access information. I took questions from writers (usually 3 per month) and found the answers.
It wasn’t that I didn’t love writing the column. I did. But after 4 years, the questions all seemed the same – “Can you help me get published?” I started repeating myself. During fall 2005, I discussed my feelings with Editor/Publisher Moira Allen. We both agreed it was time for me to move on.
I was a restless soul back then. I had just finished a major rewrite of my YA manuscript, “PFC Liberty Styrker", about the Iraq War, for my ‘then” agent. I thought I was headed in a completely different direction. But I’ll go into that whole story next time (9/20).
The point is, I let the Caterpillar slip into its cocoon.
I started my From the Styx blog about 6 weeks after I ended my Caterpillar columns. I also began work on a new YA manuscript, “Hurricane Katrina”, which I had discussed with my agent and he’d said, “I love it. Get to work on that right away.”
In the meantime my friend, Olgy Gary asked if she could publish my columns on her website, Children Come First.
“Of course,” I said.
For the next 18 months I immersed myself in my blog and the manuscript. During those months I received emails from dozens of writers who said they missed my Caterpillar column and my input in the writing world. This touched me deeply. I didn’t realize I had made a difference in people’s lives until they told me so. My frumpy, old Caterpillar had fans.
Was it time to bring it back?
If I hoped to coax the Caterpillar out of its cocoon there had to be some changes made. Writing a blog and writing a column are similar. With a blog format, I knew I would have to post weekly, not monthly like the column. Doing a blog also gave me the freedom to expand on the original column. I decided to use some of the questions from the old column but update my answers with more current information. I also take new questions. Just email me at: peggyt@siltnet.net
Along with advice, I added reviews, markets, contests, and interviews, geared toward children’s writers but not exclusively children’s writers. Many of my column readers were young writers looking for advice and markets, so the blog contains a list of links to markets and websites for young writers.
The new and improved Advice from a Caterpillar emerged in October 2007. The Caterpillar’s fans found it again. And new readers have discovered my work.
My From the Styx blog appeals to different readers than my Advice from a Caterpillar blog. Likewise this YAAYNHO blog appeals to an even wider audience. Which brings me back to my original point about why I blog – to build readership.
Peggy Tibbetts
My books
My blogs:
Advice from a Caterpillar
From the Styx
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Hey, Could You Talk a Little Louder?
Here's my biggest dirty secret as a writer: I eavesdrop.Eavesdropping is something I have done my entire life, and I'll bet a signed copy of my novel (see cover photo in side margin!!!), as well as an almost heart-felt apology, that all writers do the same thing. How else can we learn people's mannerisms and quirks when they speak? I know that the reason I listen in is the better to enrich my own characters. My husband tells me I am rationalizing, but don't listen to him. He eavesdrops as much as I do - and he's an engineer.
I like the waiting rooms in doctors' or dentists' offices. To be fair to those who have no clue they are being, well, spied on, I will consciously tune out any conversation that is far too painful and personal for a complete stranger to absorb. But anything having to do with neighbor complaints, kid behaviors, husband behaviors, or the ongoing argument with a public utility company? Hey, I'm there.
A family in my dentist's waiting room gave me all kinds of ideas for a novel I was writing at the time. My main character came from a family of nine kids, and listening to these siblings pick on, tease, ridicule, and laugh at each other was a joy. I wonder if any of them noticed I never once turned a page of the magazine I was supposed to be reading.
Airports, trains, buses, and elevators are also good places for catching a conversation or two. Except with elevators, sometimes you never get to hear the outcome of the story. I guess I can't really run after someone and say, "Excuse me, Miss, but did your co-worker's sister-in-law turn out to be pregnant after all?" On the other hand, that leaves me free to write my own ending!
I also practice this skill in restaurants. When I'm really in the zone, I can keep track of three to four conversations at once. The fire at the neighbor's house across the street was started by visiting cousin Jerome? Do tell! Mrs. Crumphorn's husband moved out in the middle of the night? Please, elaborate! The PTA president's daughter was nabbed for shoplifting? I love it!
So all you other writers out there tell me: am I really the only novelist delighting in other people's conversations? Or is it possible that you just happened to overhear something really tasty the last time you were stuck in the line at the grocery store?
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Cartoon Fun
(Sorry I'm late folks! Should have posted yesterday. Doh!)
I've always loved cartoons. Old as I am now, I still watch them. Big into Japanese Anime too. And there's several good ones on TV right now. They may be made for kids, but there's always bits hidden inside that can be enjoyed by all ages. Recently, I found a new one I would like to share with you.
Phineas and Ferb
Staring: Vincent Martella, Thomas Sangster, Ashley Tisdale, Dan Povenmire, Jeff 'Swampy' Marsh, Dee Bradley Baker, Caroline Rhea, Alyson Stoner, Mitchell Musso, Maulik Pancholy, and more!
Premise: It's summer and Phineas and Ferb are trying to make the most of it and entertain themselves and their friends, while their older sister Candace is involved in teenage angst, pursuing her one true love, and also trying to bust her brothers and getting her parents to see that they're always up to incredible antics. Beneath all this are the adventures of their pet, Perry the Platipus (or Agent P), who is working with a secret organization to protect the Tri State Area from the evil machinations of Dr. Doofenschmirtz! Let the fun begin!
Review: Back when Disney first advertised this show it didn't grab me. Bad marketing perhaps? For this show is just too much fun to be missed! And it must be watched more than once before you see the evil genius behind it. Kid shows can be formulaic and these guys grabbed that fact and took it to the far edges of the universe then ran wild with it! Its very formulaic format is its greatest charm and you learn to anticipate certain bits and have even more fun when the creators then turn them upside down. It's also a multi layered show with two to three plots running and always somehow intersecting. Let me try to explain...
Everyday Phineas and Ferb come up with something to do that day (building rockets, running a rodeo, helping a friend with a science project). Each day their older sister Candace finds out about what they're working on and tries to get their Mom to come see it so they can be "busted". Perry, the pet platypus, has a secret identity. As Agent P, he daily gets a call from his superior Major Monogram and sent after Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz to stop whatever evil plot the doctor is concocting that day. And somehow, by the end of the episode, Doofenschmirtz is thwarted and all evidence of what the brothers were up to disappears before Candace can get a parental unit to see it. (Mind you, Phineas and Ferb are aware of how their efforts seem to just disappear once they're done, but they don't worry about it as it keeps them from having to do cleanup. (Don't look a gift horse in the mouth!) Heh heh).
The creators bust buns. Imagine having to be fresh with the same formula time after time? But they are. Better yet, they are SF fans too. So all sorts of SF/Fantasy bits from movies and shows will make appearances. Fantastic Journey, Star Wars, Lords of the Ring, The Time Machine, Godzilla, and more. (Being a big geek of the genres this is AWESOME as far as I am concerned!)
The music is fantastic on this show as well. Kids get exposed to a huge variation of music genres in the show: Disco, Country, Musicals, Jazz, Rap, Jamaican, Blues, JPop, Indian, Alternative, and more. It's a great way to expose kids to the different music styles so they don't get in a rut. The lyrics on these songs are a hoot too! My favorites are Agent P's theme (including the one that goes 'Perry, Perry the Teenage Girl' - you have to see the episode to understand. Heh heh. Body Swap) and "BUSTED" followed closely by "There's a Squirrel in My Pants" (Don't ask! Must be seen to be believed! lol).
Even better, several of the characters have theme music. Candace's is a variation on the Wicked Witch theme from Wizard of Oz. Perry's (Agent P's) is very reminiscent of 60's Spy themes (think Secret Agent Man) (and one bit they do which is totally awesome is every once in a while when Agent P is slowed by a ray or is shown old or who knows what, the theme slows or speeds up to keep pace with that reality (love it!)). Phineas and Ferb have a 'we're building' theme. And Dr. Doofenshmirtz has a very preppy, upbeat theme (almost bubbly!) which will change with his location. Normally it is "Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated" for his main building, but the vocals will change if he's in a dirigible, suburban home, warehouse, underwater hideout, etc. Too cute!
Oh, and the end credits must always be watched! They will either expand on a song, recap it, have a new song (Perry the Teenage Girl!), or actually have added scenes/story for the episode.
Everything about this show screams 'labor of love'. Which just makes me love it all the more.
Phrases or recurring items to look for in each episode:
"What are we going to do today?"
"Where's Perry?" (Near beginning)
"There you are Perry." (Towards the end)
"Whatcha doing?" (Isabela can get very testy if anyone but her gets to say this! Heh)
"Curse you, Perry the Platypus!"
"Aren't you a little young to be ____?" "Why, yes, yes I am."
"-inator" (All of Dr D's inventions have 'inator' in the name. Everything sounds more evil with 'inator' as part of the name, right? Hubby wants a N8TR license plate like the Evil Invention Prize Belt.
"Take over/destroy/change the whole of the Tri-State Area!" Doofenshmirtz is very local in his thinking regarding his evil plots. :P
Floating Baby Head (No, I have NO idea what that's about. But it keeps showing up!)
Talking Zebra who calls Candace Kevin when she thinks she's dreaming.
Wife complaining to Husband about a failed venture or not doing something, then plop, invention of the day solves his issue and makes her look stupid. heh.
And yes! They have a soundtrack out! And it is the BOMB! (I want more! I want the themes for the others! (They do give us Agent P! Yes!) Come on Disney, give me!) Heh.
If you love fun, if you love summer, songs, wit, invention, adventure, you will love this show! (I'm hoping they will one day tell us Ferb's full first name (I am voting for Ferbisher - very British and what not.):P
Rating: 5 out of 5! Check it out!
I've always loved cartoons. Old as I am now, I still watch them. Big into Japanese Anime too. And there's several good ones on TV right now. They may be made for kids, but there's always bits hidden inside that can be enjoyed by all ages. Recently, I found a new one I would like to share with you.
Phineas and Ferb
Staring: Vincent Martella, Thomas Sangster, Ashley Tisdale, Dan Povenmire, Jeff 'Swampy' Marsh, Dee Bradley Baker, Caroline Rhea, Alyson Stoner, Mitchell Musso, Maulik Pancholy, and more!
Premise: It's summer and Phineas and Ferb are trying to make the most of it and entertain themselves and their friends, while their older sister Candace is involved in teenage angst, pursuing her one true love, and also trying to bust her brothers and getting her parents to see that they're always up to incredible antics. Beneath all this are the adventures of their pet, Perry the Platipus (or Agent P), who is working with a secret organization to protect the Tri State Area from the evil machinations of Dr. Doofenschmirtz! Let the fun begin!
Review: Back when Disney first advertised this show it didn't grab me. Bad marketing perhaps? For this show is just too much fun to be missed! And it must be watched more than once before you see the evil genius behind it. Kid shows can be formulaic and these guys grabbed that fact and took it to the far edges of the universe then ran wild with it! Its very formulaic format is its greatest charm and you learn to anticipate certain bits and have even more fun when the creators then turn them upside down. It's also a multi layered show with two to three plots running and always somehow intersecting. Let me try to explain...
Everyday Phineas and Ferb come up with something to do that day (building rockets, running a rodeo, helping a friend with a science project). Each day their older sister Candace finds out about what they're working on and tries to get their Mom to come see it so they can be "busted". Perry, the pet platypus, has a secret identity. As Agent P, he daily gets a call from his superior Major Monogram and sent after Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz to stop whatever evil plot the doctor is concocting that day. And somehow, by the end of the episode, Doofenschmirtz is thwarted and all evidence of what the brothers were up to disappears before Candace can get a parental unit to see it. (Mind you, Phineas and Ferb are aware of how their efforts seem to just disappear once they're done, but they don't worry about it as it keeps them from having to do cleanup. (Don't look a gift horse in the mouth!) Heh heh).
The creators bust buns. Imagine having to be fresh with the same formula time after time? But they are. Better yet, they are SF fans too. So all sorts of SF/Fantasy bits from movies and shows will make appearances. Fantastic Journey, Star Wars, Lords of the Ring, The Time Machine, Godzilla, and more. (Being a big geek of the genres this is AWESOME as far as I am concerned!)
The music is fantastic on this show as well. Kids get exposed to a huge variation of music genres in the show: Disco, Country, Musicals, Jazz, Rap, Jamaican, Blues, JPop, Indian, Alternative, and more. It's a great way to expose kids to the different music styles so they don't get in a rut. The lyrics on these songs are a hoot too! My favorites are Agent P's theme (including the one that goes 'Perry, Perry the Teenage Girl' - you have to see the episode to understand. Heh heh. Body Swap) and "BUSTED" followed closely by "There's a Squirrel in My Pants" (Don't ask! Must be seen to be believed! lol).
Even better, several of the characters have theme music. Candace's is a variation on the Wicked Witch theme from Wizard of Oz. Perry's (Agent P's) is very reminiscent of 60's Spy themes (think Secret Agent Man) (and one bit they do which is totally awesome is every once in a while when Agent P is slowed by a ray or is shown old or who knows what, the theme slows or speeds up to keep pace with that reality (love it!)). Phineas and Ferb have a 'we're building' theme. And Dr. Doofenshmirtz has a very preppy, upbeat theme (almost bubbly!) which will change with his location. Normally it is "Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated" for his main building, but the vocals will change if he's in a dirigible, suburban home, warehouse, underwater hideout, etc. Too cute!
Oh, and the end credits must always be watched! They will either expand on a song, recap it, have a new song (Perry the Teenage Girl!), or actually have added scenes/story for the episode.
Everything about this show screams 'labor of love'. Which just makes me love it all the more.
Phrases or recurring items to look for in each episode:
"What are we going to do today?"
"Where's Perry?" (Near beginning)
"There you are Perry." (Towards the end)
"Whatcha doing?" (Isabela can get very testy if anyone but her gets to say this! Heh)
"Curse you, Perry the Platypus!"
"Aren't you a little young to be ____?" "Why, yes, yes I am."
"-inator" (All of Dr D's inventions have 'inator' in the name. Everything sounds more evil with 'inator' as part of the name, right? Hubby wants a N8TR license plate like the Evil Invention Prize Belt.
"Take over/destroy/change the whole of the Tri-State Area!" Doofenshmirtz is very local in his thinking regarding his evil plots. :P
Floating Baby Head (No, I have NO idea what that's about. But it keeps showing up!)
Talking Zebra who calls Candace Kevin when she thinks she's dreaming.
Wife complaining to Husband about a failed venture or not doing something, then plop, invention of the day solves his issue and makes her look stupid. heh.
And yes! They have a soundtrack out! And it is the BOMB! (I want more! I want the themes for the others! (They do give us Agent P! Yes!) Come on Disney, give me!) Heh.
If you love fun, if you love summer, songs, wit, invention, adventure, you will love this show! (I'm hoping they will one day tell us Ferb's full first name (I am voting for Ferbisher - very British and what not.):P
Rating: 5 out of 5! Check it out!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Is There Music In Your Writing?
One day I was working on my current young adult story when one of the major characters surprised me by saying he had learned to play the guitar. Now this was not in my original plans, but I went with him¾who am I to question my characters? In one scene, so far, he and a friend play their guitars. We will see where this new thought leads.
I started thinking about my other stories and whether they contained musical elements. To my surprise, music is part of four out of five of my books. In Listen to the Ghost Matt, one of the major characters plays the saxophone and piano. Jennifer, the pov character in Secrets I Have Kept, plays classical music on the piano, and Casey, the other pov character writes country ballads and strums the guitar. Then Rebel’s mother runs away with the drummer in a rock band in the novel Rebel in Blue Jeans, and Lizzie, from Caves, Cannons, and Crinolines plays the guitar. Though the music isn’t the main point of each story, it’s there, adding to the details of the characters’ lives, telling us a little more about their likes and dislikes.
So music does play a part in most of my work. And I believe it goes back to my early years when I took piano lessons. Twice a week I spent 30 minutes in Mrs. Patton’s home, sitting at her piano. At the time, of course, I’d rather have been outside playing with my friends. My parents wanted me to play the piano, and I did my best. Today, I’m so glad I did. When I’m tense and my world is going in ten different directions at the same time, I can sit at the piano, play some of my favorite tunes from the 50’s or my favorite hymns from today, and I relax and soon I’m ready to face the day with an improved attitude and sometimes ideas for new scenes or lines that popped into my head from the songs.
In addition to the piano, I once played the clarinet in the junior high and high school bands. At the time I enjoyed the music but never considered how it might affect my future life. From my experiences, however, I believe that writing is much like playing a musical instrument. I started from the beginning, learning the basics. With music, on the piano for instance, it’s treble clef, base clef, whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, rests, sharps, flats, and all the parts that go together to make a song. Then I advanced in my knowledge of music and put the parts together with words and lyrics and melodies. Soon my music was telling a story. Yes, someone else wrote the words, but when I was on the stage, playing for my recitals, I still relayed the message to my listeners.
With writing, I began with words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, commas, periods, and question marks. As my skills grew and developed, I put the parts together, introduced the characters, and added a plot and theme. Soon I was telling a story to my readers.
Sometimes, what we do as adults reflects back to things we enjoyed in our childhood. Is there music in your writing?
So music does play a part in most of my work. And I believe it goes back to my early years when I took piano lessons. Twice a week I spent 30 minutes in Mrs. Patton’s home, sitting at her piano. At the time, of course, I’d rather have been outside playing with my friends. My parents wanted me to play the piano, and I did my best. Today, I’m so glad I did. When I’m tense and my world is going in ten different directions at the same time, I can sit at the piano, play some of my favorite tunes from the 50’s or my favorite hymns from today, and I relax and soon I’m ready to face the day with an improved attitude and sometimes ideas for new scenes or lines that popped into my head from the songs.
In addition to the piano, I once played the clarinet in the junior high and high school bands. At the time I enjoyed the music but never considered how it might affect my future life. From my experiences, however, I believe that writing is much like playing a musical instrument. I started from the beginning, learning the basics. With music, on the piano for instance, it’s treble clef, base clef, whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, rests, sharps, flats, and all the parts that go together to make a song. Then I advanced in my knowledge of music and put the parts together with words and lyrics and melodies. Soon my music was telling a story. Yes, someone else wrote the words, but when I was on the stage, playing for my recitals, I still relayed the message to my listeners.
With writing, I began with words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, commas, periods, and question marks. As my skills grew and developed, I put the parts together, introduced the characters, and added a plot and theme. Soon I was telling a story to my readers.
Sometimes, what we do as adults reflects back to things we enjoyed in our childhood. Is there music in your writing?
Monday, August 23, 2010
Character Building
For the record, I never spent any time Character Building.
But I do now, when I come up with characters I write about. Some writers say that their characters just appear, fully formed, into their heads, like some weird cabbage-patch mythical offspring. Physically I guess that's true for me, that I can see what a character looks like sometimes right away. Otherwise I need to build my characters, put them together like Frankenstein in his lab (insert mad scientist laughter here). Okay, maybe not.
What does that mean? Well, when I do school visits, I explain it this way: If you were going to write a story about your best friend, you'd already know everything about them - what their parents are like, if they have any brothers and sisters (and how they get along), their favorite color, their favorite ice cream flavor, the fact that they are allergic to peanut butter, that their greatest ambition is to farm alpacas when they grow up. You'd remember that the scar on their chin is from when they fell out of your tree fort in second grade. You would know it all without having to work at it, and writing a story about your best friend would be easy.
I do the same thing. I get to know a character, make up all that stuff from nothing. I have a handy character worksheet that I use, that I got from another writer somewhere along the way, a fill-in-the blanks kind. It's dead useful. Some of the items I might never ever use in the story, but knowing them makes it easier to write the character in whatever situation I put them in, because I understand them, I've spent time with them, as it were, and learned all about them. If we went out to lunch, I know what we'd talk about.
Take for example, a character's bedroom. The story I write might never show the character's bedroom, but knowing what their bedroom looks like can be very useful, because a person's most personal space says something about them - whether they are messy or neat, for example. What color are the walls and why? Is the bed made or not? I might know what kinds of music they like (from the posters on the walls), do they have a desk and what is on it? What kinds of books are on their shelves- romances or horror novels (or reference books)?
This does NOT mean, however, that there are no surprises. Like best friends, characters (and everyone) have secrets, and you might discover something new about a character that you just hadn't considered. This recently happened to me- I was just sitting there, thinking about the book I'm working on, and something popped into my head about a secondary character, something important. I knew at once it was right and perfect, wondered why I hadn't realized it before. But I don't know if it will ever make it into the book. Or the next one. But I know, and that's enough.
I never used to do the character worksheets, used to learn about my characters as we went along. But for my last WIP (out on submission to agents and editors) I did write them, at least for the two main characters, and I found that I loved it. It made certain aspects of story writing so much easier, the story so much richer and deeper. I wondered why I'd never done it before. It's like cool, secret dossier like they have in spy stories, and you feel like some super secret spy, knowing everything about people you made up in your head! (okay, that sounds weird...)
Worksheets are much easier than hauling stones in a wheelbarrow or scrubbing pots. Given the choice, I'll take my version of character building over the summer camp version any day. Happy Writing!
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