Adding more characters to my WIP

I've been blogging about adding new characters to my work-in-progress, Through Charlotte's Eyes, so I thought I'd start a discussion about this very topic. Have you ever written a draft, only to realize that you need to add a character? Combine a couple characters? Or remove a character entirely?

I'm currently working on draft 3.5 (I call it this because I've rewritten/revised the first half of my novel more than I have the second half), and the idea of adding new characters seems a bit overwhelming. But then I think about how the novel will progress with these new characters and how these characters will influence the main characters, and it seems a tad less daunting.

Not only that, but as I revise my current draft, I notice scenes with plot holes that are filled perfectly by these new characters, as if I'd left a space for them at the dinner table and I was just waiting for them to arrive.

As of right now, I'm adding two characters in, each of whom play a pretty hefty role, along with a handful of minor characters.

One of the new characters is Leonoor, a girl from the States who is studying abroad in Paris. She runs into Anne a few times before they become friends. I'm still fleshing out her character's back story, but so far she's looking to be the antithesis of Anne's best friend from home. She's intelligent, driven, and always on the lookout to try something new. Unlike Anne's best friend, she knows how to take care of herself.

The second new character plays a large part in Charlotte's life. He is Aunt Bretteville's protector, who keeps track of the family's finances. But, unlike many people in Caen, he shares Charlotte's moderate views: he wants a revolution, but a peaceful one, and he doesn't believe in the authority of the king. While Charlotte never intends to marry, she finds a companion in Jacques [tentative name that will definitely be changed] that is nothing like the relationships she has with any other men in her life.

Biographies dispute whether or not such a figure actually existed in Charlotte's life, but as I write her story and the reasons for why she decided to murder Marat, it has become clear that Charlotte needed someone to talk to about what she wanted for France and why. Plus, her relationship to him adds an entirely new dimension to why she leaves for Paris in the first place.

As these characters develop and play larger roles in the lives of my main characters, my novel really feels like it's coming together the way I envision it. It's one step closer, and that's a great feeling.

I'm still not sure how I'm going to work on adding these characters in. Do I start from the beginning and work my way towards the end? But that means revising Chapters 1 through 11 again, without having touched Chapters 12 through 30. (I have the nagging feeling that I keep ignoring the last half of my novel, for good reason).

Or, do I add the characters in as I continue revising/rewriting the last half of the novel? But what if they change dramatically based on how they're introduced in the first half? Maybe, for now, I'll mark the spots where they'll play a large role and then go back? Then again, I worry, that will make the story too stilted. Ah, the decisions! I'm thinking I just have to suck it up and start revisions from the beginning... again.

Now, your turn! Have you ever finished a draft, only to realize that some of your characters needed to change in drastic ways? Have you added new characters? How have you gone about putting the characters into your next draft? Comment below!

What I Need to Do

I keep saying that there's "stuff" I need to do to my novel before it's *ready*, but I haven't said what that "stuff" is really. So, here's a rundown, starting with comments I received on my final thesis from my adviser and preceptor at The University of Chicago.

The parallel story lines
Charlotte's storyline in 1792/1793 is much stronger and focused than Anne's in 2005. I'm creating more of a narrative drive for Anne's story by first focusing on what motivates her and why. But these story lines are now merging more than they ever before, because...

Anne and Charlotte: POV
All of my drafts at UofC were in 3rd person. Anne and Charlotte were two distinct characters, even though Anne travelled into the past and saw what Charlotte saw (somewhat like Being John Malkovich) during the French Revolution. The problem that my advisers saw - and which irritated me as I wrote - was that Anne seemed to disappear behind Charlotte as the novel progressed. I've been changing the entire novel from 3rd to 1st, making Anne the central character. In this way, the characters of Anne and Charlotte have merged, and Anne is deciding whether she should follow what she knows of history or forever change what Charlotte is known for, which leads me to...

How does Charlotte become a murderer?
In third person, I wasn't showing enough of why Charlotte decided to kill Marat, especially when she constantly preached moderation and peace. (A couple months ago, I wouldn't have written on my blog what Charlotte was famous for, but since a Google search will tell you, I'm building the plot around things other than Charlotte's murderous act). In first person, and with an Anne becoming Charlotte, Anne has agency. She knows Charlotte's thoughts, has her memories, has to act like she is Charlotte to fool the rest of the world - but does Anne decide to kill Marat? Or does she forever change the course of the French Revolution and of history?

Other than my adviser and preceptor's comments, there's other things I'm working on.

The character's relationships
Especially Anne's relationship to her dad, French grandmother, and Pierre. Anne is one angry teen and she lets her dad and grandmother know it. With Pierre, on the other hand, expect more chemistry than before.

More characters
Anne's going through a lot of personal things, especially in coming to terms with what happened with her mother, and in the first couple drafts of Through Charlotte's Eyes she didn't really have anyone she feels like she could talk to. Charlotte, too, feels isolated and alone because no one in her family agrees with her political beliefs. But isolation doesn't make for plot. I've added a few more characters that act, in ways, like side-kicks to Anne and Charlotte. I wrote a bit about this in my post yesterday.

Anne's rebellion
I originally wrote a few scenes in which Anne decides to not do something because she knows her grandmother wouldn't approve. (Like go to Caen - where Charlotte lived for about ten years - because of the riots ravaging the countryside). But as I'm changing the POV from 3rd to 1st, these scenes don't jibe with who Anne is. So, now, Anne's rebelling. And, oh, the drama that this creates! Gotta love the drama.

Paris
I need to visit Paris. That trip will affect so much of this novel that I can't even consider myself close to finished until I make it there. Trip dates: TBD - but know that I will go there (hopefully by the end of the year).

These are just some of the things I'm working on that are the reasons why the novel isn't ready yet. Slowly but surely, I'm getting there.

More on my process and 'aha' moments

I used to wait for inspiration, for something to catch my eye or an idea to suddenly burst into a story. I thought that's what I needed in order for the words to work on the page. But then I grew up.

In high school, I realized that the "novel" I was writing wouldn't spring up overnight. All the words wouldn't be "given" to me, as if a gift from God. And, even if they were, if I wasn't ready, sitting at my computer or my pad of paper, writing, the words would disappear. (Eventually I finished that novel, while in high school, but let's just say that first novel is better left collecting dust.)

Writing, I realized, starts with sitting down and simply trying to get words down on the page. Inevitably, even if I didn't feel inspired, I'd become immersed in the world I was creating and then good luck in trying to get me to stop. Even after I put the story or chapter away, the story would simmer as I thought about how the next scene or section of dialogue would pane out.

The most amazing thing about grad school was that I spent a majority of my waking life - especially in Spring term - immersed in the world of Charlotte Corday and Anne-Marie Gessner. Sure, I had to pull away from the novel and attend classes and write unrelated papers, but the rest of the time, I was in Charlotte and Anne's heads, and no matter whether I felt inspired or not, I had to write. I had to, or my thesis wouldn't have been ready in time. I couldn't wait for 'aha' moments; I had to make them come to me.

After grad school ended and I relaxed into summer (and started stressing about finding a full-time job), the revision process waned, even as I continued to think about Through Charlotte's Eyes. I knew the novel was "done" for school, that I had a complete draft, that my thesis advisor and preceptor thought it publishable, but it still didn't feel ready. I thought I could do better.

People began to ask me, "But how do you know when it'll be ready? Will it ever be ready?"

Yes, my answer always is. There's just some things I still need to do. (More on this in tomorrow's blog post).

So, how do I make inspiration come to me? By talking and writing about my novel, by bouncing ideas off of people (especially my boyfriend) and thinking about my novel as I walk to work, ride the el, and do chores around the apartment. Inevitably, this process forces ideas through and I'm ready to get back to the page. This is how 'aha' moments happen - not by magic - but by thinking about my novel.

My latest 'aha' moment sprung the other day. I was telling my boyfriend about the catacombs in Paris, which I've become obsessed with lately, and how I need to work them into my novel because they're so creepy. Plus, that's where Charlotte is supposedly buried.

As I'm telling him about cataphiles (people who explore the catacombs at night, despite and probably because it's illegal), an idea hit me about what brings Anne to explore them. She's with a group of people visiting Paris on foreign term from America, and they decide to go check it out as they tell ghost stories about the underground tunnels that house the resting place of more than six million Parisians. But I was annoyed with how Anne had just met these people and I wasn't convinced that she's the kind of person to just tag along.

This brought up another nagging issue for me: there's too many characters that pop up for a couple scenes and then disappear. So, I thought about the beginning of my novel, about Anne overhearing a conversation between a couple girls her age. Why couldn't she end up meeting one of them (instead of just eavesdropping), and one of these girls is part of this group that goes down to the catacombs at night? AHA. BOOM. TA DA. The light went on, and ideas about this new character and friend to Anne - who doesn't disappear after a few chapters - flooded my head. She's a foil to Anne's best friend who's back in Illinois, at home.

I'm giving too much away, so I'll leave it at that. I recognize that this new idea means that I need to go back and rewrite parts of Chapter 1 through 11 again, but if that's the way it is, that's the way it is.

I have an idea in my head for how I want this novel to be and it will not be ready until I achieve that picture. So, thank you friends, family, and fellow bloggers for your support while I work on this novel, but I've still got a ways to go. If you want to talk about the novel, I'd love to - in fact, I welcome it - but please try to avoid the question of "When's the novel going to be done?" I promise you. It will be complete and finished...eventually. But when this novel gets published, I want it to be everything I want and need it to be, and until then, it won't be ready.

WIP Wednesday... *ahem* Thursday... #6

The title of this blog post says it all... I'm running behind on everything, the deadlines for my WIP included. I would rather crawl into my bed and hide under my covers then admit this - but I need to keep holding myself accountable - so I'm just going to spit it out and say it, as much as it pains me.

I still haven't even met my writing goals/deadlines for June 30th.

Commence gnashing of teeth and tearing out of hair.

Okay, okay. I'm calmer now. The deadlines are to help, not stress me out. I have excuses, plenty of them. I've been busy. And it's not like I haven't been working on the novel, I have - just not as much as I'd like to (or should) be.

I've been working out tons of snafus with getting the lease for my new place (I'm now halfway there; lease signed, just need a move-out date, and, you know, to start painting and packing). I've been out of town (to see a good friend from high school, and it had been much too long since we'd seen each other last). I've been spending time with my youngest sister before bidding her farewell (she left for Paris on Tuesday for five - yes, FIVE, weeks - and I'm oh so jealous of her). And, of course, I've been writing about hot dogs.

HOT DOGS.

In ways, I feel like my life is being taken over by hot dogs. Don't get me wrong. I'm loving it. I love keeping my eyes open for news stories related to Chicago dogs. I love hearing people's comments about my stories. I love reading about hot dogs, trying new hot dogs... simply put, I love the distraction. And, yes, it's a big distraction that is nothing related to Paris, riots, the French Revolution, time travelling, and all the other things my novel is about.

So it's decided. I'll keep working on Through Charlotte's Eyes, I'll keep pushing toward meeting my deadlines (even if I'm way behind), but I'll also start brainstorming on ideas for a novel that revolves around hot dogs. That, I believe, is the perfect solution.

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To join in on WIP Wednesdays, check out Kate's blog.

WIP Wednesday #4

It's been awhile, I know. My computer still has a virus, and until I get that fixed, I'm using my boyfriend's laptop - which is fine (even if it's disconcerting to look at the keyboard and see Chinese characters) but I know I haven't spent as much time writing as I should be.

It hasn't helped that I'm still having issues with my eyes. The eye doc says (after four appointments in the last two months) that my eyes are getting better and the nasty eye infection from my building's pool is starting to clear up enough that I can wear contacts again - finally! (But only for a couple hours, every couple days. Yeah. Seriously.) I've also been hunting for a new apartment, and am possibly moving further north but still well within Chicago city limits. I've been out of town, gone to weddings, have been volunteer teaching right after work... I know. I'm just making excuses for myself. I still need to write every day and keep plugging along! That said, despite my absence from my blog, I am making progress on the novel, albeit slowly.

In the three weeks since my last WIP Wednesday posting, I've revised/rewritten Chapters 4 through 10... okay. Wow. I didn't realize that until I looked it up. Seven chapters ain't so bad!

What I've been working on:

• Changing the POV from third to first person. I hit a couple road-blocks when Anne had her first time-travelling experience; the POV shift meant that her entire relationship to Charlotte changed. At first I didn't see how this would work. Would Anne just float around like a ghost watching everything? Nope! She becomes Charlotte, and I feel like I can say that without giving too much away. I'm still working out a few kinks - does Anne automatically know what Charlotte knows? - but so far, so good.
• Anne's voice. Ohmy. She sounds more like a teenager than ever before. Thank you first person! Not only that, but the dynamics of her relationship with the grand-mother she's never met before are coming out like never before. They clearly both want to get to know one another, but don't know how without coming off snippy and resentful because of their pasts.
• Incorporating more French Revolution history but not overwhelming the reader with too many dates, facts, etc. This is something I'll be working on until the novel is finished!
• Giving enough context for what's going on with France's 2005 riots for some of the scenes to make sense. So far, so good - but I still feel like I don't know enough about the riots. This frustrates me, so if anyone has any good resources, knows anyone I can talk to, please let me know!

Looking forward:

• I'm approaching the midway point of my novel, which makes me nervous. This is the least revised part of my book and I KNOW how much works needs to be done.
• The ending. I had a total 'light-bulb' moment two days ago about the novel's twist. That's all I'll say, otherwise it won't be a 'twist'! I might even write this twist (and the novel's ending) before I write the middle, because I'm way more excited about it and how it'll impact Anne and Charlotte.

As always, happy writing!

If you want to join in on WIP Wednesday, check out Kate's blog here.

I'm Still Around...

... just not blogging as much, for a few reasons:

1. The Internet in my apartment has been sucking. And now my computer has a virus so I'm loathe to go on the Internet for more than a second (if at all).
2. I've been blog lazy... but I don't discriminate. I haven't been keeping up-to-date on my blog reading either.
3. But I have been writing. The more I write on the novel, the less I tend to blog. And this Saturday, I'm participating in Write Your A$$ Off Day! Although, I might have to partake in long hand, due to reason #1.

So there. I'm still around, but just not around as often as I was before.

And, oh yeah... this is blog post #100! Go me!

Asking Why: Character Development

So, I've been working on some short stories about my two main characters - Anne and Charlotte - and I'm already reaping the benefits of these "background" stories. These stories help me rethink my characters actions, both why they act and react in the ways they do in the novel. Motivation is clearly a huge part of this, and, as usual, a useful writing exercise can come out of this sort of thinking: asking "why" questions about your characters.

Here are some questions I've been thinking about lately, as I revise my WIP novel...

Why does Anne have a difficult time talking to her best friend about her mother?

Why is Anne intent on "finding" her mother? This one seems obvious, in ways, but then...

Why does Anne have difficulty talking to her grand-mother about her mother's past, if she's so desperate to "know" her mother?

Why is Anne experiencing Charlotte's life? Why does Anne think she's experiencing Charlotte's life?

Why can't Anne grasp what's going on with the riots or with Pierre?

Why can't Charlotte live with her father?

Why does Charlotte refuse to share her true opinions about the revolution with her family (except for her father)?

Why does Charlotte believe that France should be a republic, rather than a monarchy?

Why does Charlotte believe she has the destiny she does?

Why does Charlotte decide to go to Paris and commit...

I'll stop there; I don't want to give too much away =). Although, hopefully my questions - all of which I answer in the novel, both in subtle and non-subtle ways - intrigue you. For me, at the very least, these questions have been useful as I revise my novel, making sure that how my characters act lines up with their past actions.

Try this yourself; ask 'why' questions of your characters and delve more into their motivations, goals, etc.

Progress!...

... but not completely the progress I expected.

So, I didn't complete all my "writing goals" for this weekend. Other stuff came up (like studying for my French test), distractions arose, the usual. But I still made progress. I finished revising Chapters 1, 2, & 3... but didn't rewrite Chapter 8. Instead, I worked on revising Chapters 4, 5, & 6. Not what I planned, but, in ways, it was more than I had planned to do. So, I'll take it!

I also worked on a couple themes that run throughout the novel, pulling them out more, creating subtle hints towards them. Again, it's not everything I planned, but I'm making progress on the novel, and it feels great!

And, yesterday's blog post held me accountable. I knew I would write on here whether I accomplished my goals, and it helped motivate me, so expect more accountability posts in the future!

Excerpt: Chapter Four

From my WIP, Through Charlotte's Eyes

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18 August 1791

What a frightful day it has been. Here, reader, is what happened, and why you must understand my sudden thoughtlessness and disregard for Aunt’s friends as well as my own. I meant no one harm, but they were discussing the mother of Gracchi and Coriolanus as well as of some of my other favorite heroines in history. How could I not speak in admiration of them and of the old Republics?

I called the old Republics “the noblest form of government”—for that is what they are—but Mme Levaillant retorted, as if she was hurt: “Can it be that you are a republican, my dear?”

My embarrassment left me speechless. All I wanted was to leave the room, but I could not ignore her nor the stares of all of Aunt's guests. I whispered, “I should be, if the French were worthy of a Republic.”

One of Aunt’s Royalist friends gasped. Silence filled the room. Finally, someone spoke and turned the discussion to other, less political, topics. I do believe I have offended them, and I do wish I could take back all that I have said.

Excerpt: Chapter Two

Also from my WIP, Through Charlotte's Eyes

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The cabinets’ insides weren’t as organized. The first burst with old letters Grand-mère had received from friends and from Anne’s Grandpapa when he fought in World War II. As Anne shuffled through them, she found nothing of her mother.

When Anne opened an old book that she’d pulled from the next cabinet, the yellow pages, with brown edges, crackled. While the first sheet was blank, the next, in perfect cursive writing, read: Journal intime de Marie-Anne Charlotte Corday d’Armont. 1791 à 1793.

Charlotte Corday—one of the few things Anne remembered from her mother's stories about France was about a famous revolutionary woman to whom they were related. Her mother only referred to her as Charlotte when she told Anne about their brave and heroic relative who fought for what she believed. Other than her mother’s high opinion of their distant relative, Anne knew little about Charlotte.

Anne flipped through the diary’s pages.

My friends have fled, but I have stayed behind with Aunt… the things I witnessed yesterday in the streets have infiltrated my dreams… The upstanding men of the Republic have come to Caen. I hold utter faith in their abilities to save my beloved country from the murderous tyrants who have laid siege in Paris.

The front door rattled shut, startling Anne, bringing her back to the present.

Excerpt: Chapter One

From my WIP, Through Charlotte's Eyes

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The man awkwardly smiled. “I am so sorry, mademoiselle,” he laughed, causing Anne’s heart to race. His accent was slightly off—but not American. “It is just, you are so striking, and now that I finally see you up close, I am sure.”

“No,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Don’t bother with the lines. I’m not interested. Got it?” She buttoned the top button of her pea coat as she turned to go.

“You misunderstand,” he called after her.

Her heart still racing from nervousness—rather than from the man’s friendly demeanor—Anne walked away. The wind blew her hair into her eyes and mouth. She wiped at them both. She stopped an intersection, looking left, then right. He didn’t seem crazy—just odd, especially with his comment. What kind of strange pick-up line was that supposed to be? She slowly felt calmer, feeling like she’d done the right thing confronting him. He wasn’t anyone to be scared of.

“Anne Marie?” The man caught up to her.

Anne spun around. Her heart was suddenly pounding full throttle again, nervousness, like blood, surging through her veins. He knew her name. He was stalking her. There could be no other explanation.

Switching Focus Yet Again

I'm stuck on the script and don't know how to develop next.

So, I'm taking a break on that project and finally returning to my novel. I've officially spent a month away from it now, and, admittedly, that was beginning to irritate me. I hated feeling like I wasn't making any progress on it, that I had wasted a month on a side-project that really hasn't gotten very far.

But, last night I went to bed planning to work on my novel all weekend, and when I woke up, I finally felt ready to do so. I'm focusing on my main character's (Anne's) childhood, and how that drives her forward when she's 18-years-old to discover more about the life of her mother who died when Anne was eight.

Ideas are forming and I plan to get those all out on paper this weekend. Hurrah for killing off writer's block! I guess backing away from a piece of writing to see it through fresh eyes really does help - even if it kills you to put it away for a month!

Classe française numéro trois

Last night I had my third (if you don't count my one and only Saturday basic of the basic class) French class. Not suprisingly, it was the hardest yet. We've moved beyond the alphabet, numbers 1 through 29, and greetings. Now, we're in full sentences... sort of.

In one (excruciating) part of the class, we had to explain why we were taking French class while speaking in French. Um, yeah, not so much. With a LOT of coaching and confusion, I finally said, "J'étudie le français parce que j'étudie l'historie française le 18ième siècle." (Don't ask me how to pronounce most of this - particularly the last two words; I only know how it's spelled because my professor wrote it on the board).

I realized, after the fact, I could have just said that I was studying the life of Marie-Anne Charlotte de Corday d'Armont, but as I'm being reminded in these past couple weeks - I kinda have a hard time learning/practicing a new language in front of people I don't know, and, hence, make things much more difficult on myself than they really need to be.


Do I regret taking this class? Not at all. I like being able to "converse" with others (especially when I know what I'm saying) and practicing with my professor, who corrects my pronounciation - which I wouldn't get at all with a CD. But, I need to keep reminding myself that this isn't an overnight thing. I can't expect a couple classes to really teach me French. After all, I took Spanish for a good six years, if not more, and I was nowhere near fluent. I also know that I need to "practice" more, with my friends who speak fluent French (or, at the very least, know far more than I do), as well as my sister who is also learning beginner's French, albeit through the less expensive route of a book and a CD.

The benefits of taking classes at the Alliance Française are also going beyond me earning the language. My professor previously had a student, far more advanced than I, who is well-versed in French history and who is willing to talk to me about the French Revolution & any questions I might have. I'm going to also probe his brain for any info he has about the French riots of 2005, which is what I'm still struggling with more than anything. There is so little out there other than factual articles about what happened during that time; I need more of what people were feeling - both of the boys and men who were involved in the riots as well as the Parisians who, I keep assuming, didn't feel any threat from the riots that were raging in the suburbs of France. But all that is another matter, another post for another day.

In the meantime, I'm forcing myself to keep away from the novel and work on other things, or at least, not the pages of the novel itself. This isn't an excuse for me not working on the novel, seriously. I need to back up from my novel's main plots so I can look at it with fresh eyes. Of late, ideas have been bubbling and my novel journal has been brought forth again. I don't know if I'll ever totally understand my writing process, but, so far, this French class really has had an inspirational effect on that process.

Getting to Know Anne

(WARNING: Spoilers for my forthcoming novel lay ahead. Read with caution).

The other night, Tyler and I were watching the first episode of this season's Nip/Tuck (Note: This was the first episode I've ever watched of Nip/Tuck, and I think I'm already kind of hooked - but that's a different post for a different day).

When Sean McNamara got stabbed in the back by that crazy, old lady, Tyler expressed shock that Sean didn't try to turn around and knock the knife out of her hands. I immediately referenced Charlotte - the main historical character in my novel - and how she killed her victim with one, perfectly placed stroke. Historians say that had she stabbed him one centimeter below, she would have hit a rib, resulting in just a minor wound instead of near-instantaneous death.

I've been doing this a lot lately. Things I see or talk about inevitably result in me referencing Charlotte in some way, as if I actually knew her. That's how well I know her and her life. It also reminds me of how little I know of my other character, Anne, in comparison.

Granted, Anne is fictional, so I had to start from scratch with her, whereas I just read a ton about Charlotte and just had to fill in what the history books left out. I need to get to a point, though, where it feels like Anne is a historical character too. I need to know the everyday and mundane things about Anne, like her favorite color or favorite drink, just as much as I need to know her life-changing moments, like how she found out her mother died when she was just eight-years-old. I need to be able to reference Anne's life, as if she was real, as if she was human - just like I do with Charlotte.

So, this is what I've been doing lately with my novel: I'm revising, but I'm also going back to my original character sketches. I'm filling them out more, writing more background - not to include in the story, but just to know. Because if this novel is going to be about Anne and Charlotte - I need to know every detail I possibly can about both of them, whether it's fiction or not.