Comments on Dawn's Rise: Your Character is Wrong

It is not fair to ask of others what you are unwil...

2009-09-30T06:13:31.530-07:00

It is not fair to ask of others what you are unwilling to do yourself.
It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.

regime proteine

MamaB: Not sure why it won't cut/paste. If you...

2009-09-04T09:39:43.825-07:00

MamaB: Not sure why it won't cut/paste. If you email it to me I can post it for you :)

No one can make you feel anything, but you certainly can expose your triggers and let people manipulate you with them. You still control what sets you off. It can be really hard to change your reactions though. All I'm saying is that it's possible.

Ryan: Thanks! I've been wanting one of those. I'll have to share the love when I get a chance.

Y'know, my mother always tried to tell us that...

2009-09-04T09:27:53.043-07:00

Y'know, my mother always tried to tell us that no one else can make you feel anything.

My sisters can still make me madder than anything ;) .

(I was going to answer your questions, but the comment post won't let me cut and paste. How rude.)

Great tips on character development. I look forwa...

2009-09-03T12:34:42.130-07:00

Great tips on character development. I look forward to seeing more of your blog.

Hey, Lapetus999, I have answered your questions in...

2009-09-02T17:15:18.789-07:00

Hey, Lapetus999, I have answered your questions in my post Too Lazy Tuesday, and I have even nominated you for a Kreative Blogger award. Enjoy.

Great post. Insightful and informational.

2009-09-02T09:52:41.726-07:00

Great post. Insightful and informational.

A very good post and very interactive. Nice job! ...

2009-09-01T14:33:47.063-07:00

A very good post and very interactive. Nice job!

A good story has to involve conflict - whether that conflict is internal, external or both. Nobody wants to read about someone's ordinary day. Most of us live those all the time - writing is an escape from ordinary, without all the bumps and bruises.

One other thing, the sentence “She hated the way he made her feel," is not good writing either. The reader experiences nothing from it. It’s better to writing something like "She nearly bit the side of her tongue off when he told her she was fat for the thousandth time." Then the reader feels her anguish directly.

Andrew, these are all great questions! I just rec...

2009-09-01T06:11:52.215-07:00

Andrew, these are all great questions! I just recently did this in a character development workshop for Paige and Dexx, my mc's in my paranormal thriller. I haven't done this for Riley and Kat, my mc's for my YA yet. I'm going to have to find the time to do that. It'll be so much fun!

I just realized why your "name" seemed f...

2009-09-01T05:10:42.226-07:00

I just realized why your "name" seemed familiar. I loved your hook. You have a great site and I'm looking forward to reading Dawn's Rise!

Excellent! I'm looking forward to the response...

2009-08-31T21:02:03.025-07:00

Excellent!
I'm looking forward to the responses.
Children learn pretty important lessons early in life. Note that the "critical event" doesn't have to be a plane wreck. It could be a dog growling or a bad storm. A child could be frightened by storms when small, but grow to enjoy them.

I think I have to blog this and link it, too. That...

2009-08-31T19:48:40.196-07:00

I think I have to blog this and link it, too. That'll be my first project in the morning.

These are some great questions, and to be honest w...

2009-08-31T19:36:32.707-07:00

These are some great questions, and to be honest with you I think that I'm going to have to sit down and puzzle over them for a day or so. If you don't mind I would like to answer these questions for Raising Kain in one of my next blog posts. I'll be happy to link to this post, and leave a link to the post in the comments here.

I also have one question about the questions. What happens if your story is about a child, and therefore they have very little (six years as a matter of fact) in which they could develop those mental prejudices. Never mind, I think I have that one answered all ready.

By the way, wonderful post.

o What critical event occurred in your characte...

2009-08-31T17:01:16.691-07:00
o What critical event occurred in your character’s life (usually in childhood) and what decision they make about themselves based on that event? How does it affect their world view?
The most traumatic event in Dawn's life up until now occurred when she was ten. An automated drone fell out of the sky and killed her mother, and she saw the whole thing. She was thrust into the care of her Aunt, not much more than a child herself. Dawn decided that life is out of her control, and that she needs to protect herself from pain and unpleasant thoughts as much as she can. She also feels responsible for not warning her mother, so she tries to become her mother in a sense by taking up her mother's life goals and take care of her mother's sister.

o How does this negatively impact them in the present (the start of the novel)? How does it hold them back?
She's unwilling to make changes in her life. She just treads water. She's burdened by the responsibility of caring for this Aunt who takes advantage of Dawn's feelings of responsibility. She's afraid to step outside her normal life.

o How does this world view impact their ability to work through the central crisis of the novel?
Dawn is reluctant to take up the mantle of the Hero. Her visions and the disasters remind her of her personal disaster so she wants no part of it. Rose becomes a huge distraction instead of a key ally.

o What do they learn about this critical event in their past? What new interpretation do they have? How does this affect their choices moving forward?
Dawn learns that her mother's death was no accident. She realizes she had no control over the situation, but she can do something about it now. She learns that Rose needs to lead her own life. She must be willing to endure pain, especially the pain of her mother's death which she suppressed for years.Dawn realizes she does have control over her destiny, that things happen for a reason, even the disasters. She decides to take action, that she can make a difference. She doesn't have to be her mother anymore.

o How does this help them confront the antagonist and prevail in the end?
Dawn riles up the antagonist and stays cool herself. She knows the secret her mom died to protect. She uses that to her advantage. The antagonist can't hurt her any more, because Dawn's survived the pain of the truth about her parents, and nothing the antagonist does can hurt her.