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When it comes to creating a character for your book, it is important to know them inside and out. While you will not include all this information in your story, it will help you understand their motivations and how to move the story along.
What happens to us in our childhood, for example, will have an impact on us well into adulthood. This can be abuse, trauma, abandonment, etc. It is important to understand how these things can manifest and how it could shape your character. If someone has abandonment issues for example, they may have a lot of failed relationships or they find it difficult to get close to people. Before you start writing, create a short outline for your character and the main events in their life. Remember their life doesn't start on the first page. It is also important to note that you do not need to include pages of backstory in the opening chapter - a mistake many new writers make. Trust that your readers want to know more and it is more enjoyable to have it unfold over the course of the story. You can include hints or snippets of information, but you should always be looking to move your story forward.
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When it comes to planning your story, take your time to get it right. Most people like to jump straight in and start writing, and while that can be fun, it is very easy to end up writing yourself into a corner.
You do not have to plot out every little detail, but you should have a basic structure in place. A beginning, middle and end that you can refer back to if you get stuck. There is nothing worse than writing a story and then finding a major plot hole that requires a lot of rewriting. Why cause yourself that much stress? Having a timeline for your story can help to pin key moments down for your characters. It can keep you on track and make sure that your character doesn't go from point A to point B in the blink of an eye, with no reasonable way of getting there. An easy way to do it is to open a new document or fresh blank page in a notebook, and make a note of where your characters start out. How does the story begin? What is your character facing and what is going to happen to them? The middle is where the characters try to solve their dilemma. They often fail, making a mistake or are unable to help themselves because they are missing something - information, an object, help etc. The ending is where they face the ‘big battle’, whether literal or metaphorical, and their story reaches a conclusion. This is followed by a short wrap up - a ‘where to now’ for the characters. You want your characters to have an arc. To go on a journey and change over the course of the book. This is a good way to check this too. If your character is exactly the same person on page 1 as the final page, then something has gone wrong. So even if you are a pantser, do make an outline for yourself, however rough. You will be glad you did.  WHEN THE VOICES CALL, DON'T ANSWER... In the wake of his parents' tragic deaths fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the remote town of Ballantyne, where all is not as it seems. Richard quickly earns a reputation as an outcast, and when a classmate named Tom goes missing, no one believes him when he says the telephone booth out by the edge of the woods sucked Tom into the receiver like something out of a horror movie. No one, that is, except the enigmatic Karen, who encourages Richard to pursue clues the police refuse to investigate. He traces the number to an abandoned house in the woods. There he catches a glimpse of a terrifying face in the window. And then the voices start. REVIEW
When Richard's parents die in a fire, he is sent to live with his aunt and uncle. He hangs out with a boy called Tom, but a prank turns deadly and Richard is left trying to figure out what happened. This book is very twisty and it is essentially told in three parts. If you are a fan of Stephen King, big twists and weird stones then it might be for you. 3.5 out of 5 star  Dorothy Must Die meets Alice in Wonderland! This is not a story of happily ever after – it’s the twisted YA origin story of an infamous villain… Dinah is a princess, the future Queen of Hearts, who will one day reign over Wonderland. Unaware of the dark depths of her kingdom; she longs only for her father’s approval and to reign with the boy she loves. But when a betrayal breaks her heart and threatens her throne, Dinah is launched into the dangers of Wonderland. She must stay one step ahead of her enemies or she’ll lose not just the crown, it will be off with her head! Evil is brewing in Wonderland, and maybe, most frighteningly, in Dinah herself. The first in an epic, imaginative series tells the origin of one of the most infamous villains – the Queen of Hearts. REVIEW
Princess Dinah is set to take over Wonderland from her father. Her brother, the mad hatter, cannot rule and she is his only other heir or so she thinks. Then her father introduces her half sister to her. As she tries to carry out her duties, she soon learns that there are many secrets being kept in the palace. This reimagining of Wonderland was interesting, with a dark edge to it. It was quite clear to me what the 'plan' was from the beginning, but when you consider Dinah's relationship with her father and how she was raised, she has no reason to think anything different. The story moved at a good pace and there is a book two as this ends on something of a cliffhanger. I will definitely be checking out the next book. 4 out of 5 stars.  The magical Sídhe have been expelled from their home and forced into the Grey Land - a place under the earth; a place of darkness and death. But now they've returned to take back what they lost. All teenagers will be called, and when your time comes, you have to be ready to run or fight to the death. The vengeful Sídhe will grab you by surprise - you could be studying or hanging out with friends when suddenly you're pulled into their terrifying world, alone and hunted. Only one in ten will return alive - the rest subjected to a tortuous and painful death. No one believes Nessa can survive The Call, but after years of torment and, worse, pity - she's determined to prove them wrong . . REVIEW
Nessa and the other teens of Ireland are being hunted by the Fae. Taken during puberty to the Grey Lands, they are chased through the night, while only being missing in the real world for three minutes. This book really pulled me in. The Idea was intriguing and I would have loved this as a teen. It is quite dark, so a warning is needed for younger teens. Nessa is an interesting character. Having a character with a disability that puts her at a severe disadvantage does add more tension to the story. The author's writing style is a little unusual in that on occasion it feels the same scenes are being skipped over where readers would like to know more, but there is enough of a hint to keep you wondering. It was a creepy, entertaining read. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars  Zélie remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. When different clans ruled – Burners igniting flames, Tiders beckoning waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoning forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, anyone with powers was targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope. Now Zélie has a chance to bring back magic to her people and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must learn to harness her powers and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. Danger lurks in Orïsha, where strange creatures prowl, and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to come to terms with the strength of her magic – and her growing feelings for an enemy . . . Review
Zélie lost her mother when magic was taken away, now that she has a chance to restore it, she wants revenge. When she meets Princess Amari, they clash over the situation, as they try to figure out what to do next. I enjoyed the story and how the two main characters interacted. They come from two different worlds, but they are both good people at heart. Zélie has struggled with loss, poverty and trying to help her family. When she learns magic can be restored, she feels like things can finally change. Meanwhile, Amari lived a life of privilege, but when she sees someone she cares about die, it turns her world upside down. The story examines how oppression can impact people and what happens when the oppressed fight back. It shows that it is important to choose a side and stand up for others and that no one should be stripped of a part of themselves. It was a very good book and I will be reading the next in the series. 4.5 out of 5 stars.  Now we have set the scene, created our monster and thoroughly spooked the main character, we need to get to the pay off. The confrontation, the big battle between the main character and the monster. Of course it doesn't have to be an actual battle, it could be psychological in nature, or the main character may just try to outwit them.
If you have been building up the bad guy, they need to be suitably scary. Of course that doesn't mean they need to have fangs or claws, sometimes the scariest reveals are finding out that someone you thought was the good guy, is actually the bad guy. When the bad guy finally shows themselves, it is often when the main character is at their lowest. They have been terrified, driven half mad and they are trapped - literally or figuratively. When confronted, the main character is going to have to fight to survive. Your fight scene needs to be satisfying too. Readers want a longer scene, something they can sink their teeth into. Even if the fight itself would play out reasonably quickly, on the page we need to feel like we are there. What is the main character experiencing? How are they feeling? We want to be on the edge of our seats at this moment! If executed well, the reader will be punching the air when the bad guy is taken down. That isn't always easy to pull off and may require a few drafts to get right. Do get some feedback from others too, make sure that it is a satisfying ending. Satisfying doesn't have to mean happy, but it does have to make sense to the story. Good luck! Happy writing!  Now that you have your supernatural bad guy and the setting, when do you spring them on the main character? Many times writers will bring them out too early and that isn't great for supernatural stories. We want to build suspense first. Make the main character think they are losing their minds, or that someone is messing with them. We want the main character to feel uneasy and scared, along with the reader.
The best way to do this is to start your story in the 'real' world. Somewhere safe, familiar and ordinary. This will be a good juxtaposition for the horror that is to come. Once the main character enters this place where the monster starts to mess with them, you need to build up slowly. This could be a creepy house, a town, the woods etc. The setting is up to you and we examined that last week. Usually your main character will start with a feeling of unease. They won't be able to pinpoint why, but this will slowly build over time. We can move onto seeing things from the corner of their eye, hearing noises or even strange smells. Use those senses to really tell the story! By the time the supernatural being appears, we want to be suitably spooked and it has to be memorable. The MC will be concerned that they are imaging stuff at this point, so we want them to finally see what has been causing all the issues. Of course while they have been freaking out, you are adding detail and backstory to hint at us as to what is coming. They may investigate, find information or learn the chilling history of the place. This is why it is important to choose the right setting for your story. One that fits in with the monster. Next week, we will look at the pay off.  The setting for your supernatural story is key. It becomes like a character itself. The setting must also work for the monster in that it has to fit the legend or backstory you have created. For example, a ghost in a creepy house, a monster in the woods. Of course, the place does not have to be creepy to begin with. It can turn that way over time. Or when the sun sets.
You want to build tension over time. Let the MC have some moments of relief where they think they have solved the problem - rattling pipes, birds in the attic etc. Give them other locations to work with - safe, brightly lit locations that will contrast well with the main location. If you are setting your story in an unfamiliar location or country, do your research. Nothing will break a reader out of a story faster than having something be off with the setting - for example having a specific type of animal that doesn't live in that area or geography issues. Online street views can really help to paint a picture. Build it up in your mind, draw out rough sketches if it helps. This way you will know it inside out and it will help when it comes to moving your character around the location. More next week! |
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About the Author:S. K. Gregory is an author, editor and blogger. She currently resides in Northern Ireland. “Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.” 
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