Writing Tip for the Day: Characters

Many novels I read in Science Fiction/Fantasy have weak willed women characters.  There are a few by such authors as David Weber, Eric Nylund, Timothy Zahn, and Michael A. Stackpole who have amazingly strong female characters, even if they are not the main character. The current Star Wars novel series Fate of the Jedi have weak willed women characters. These are not female characters who are just made up for the role in the series or book. No. These are characters like Leia Solo and her daughter Jaina, just to name them. Troy Denning, the current headwriter for the series since 2006 has been performing character assassination. It just raises the question: hoe does one avoid weak-willed female (and male) characters?

• Write them as having heroic traits. Not every time does a woman need to be saved by the handsome man. Nor do they need to be angsty and need support from characters who reads flat. Make the female strong and independent to a point. She does not always need to win, but she should have courage and a strong backbone. For male characters, DO NOT always have them angsting or always there to save the day. Try having them as heroic, but not always winning.
• Character Assassination. If you write a character long enough in a novel or short story or novella, and have some one test read it, and they question certain actions about said character, chances are, you've assassinated the feel the character gave the reader when they got to know him. I find it easy to create 3D characters using the following format: Name______, Age_____, Occupation_______, Positive Traits_______, Negative Traits_______. It works for me and I never give the impression that I've assassinated any character of mine.

Remember, drama and angst may be loved by certain people, but most readers will not stand for it. Most readers love well rounded characters, and respect the author for having them too.

Working Titles

When I begin to approach writing a novel, I will come up with a working title--a title that is a place holder for later. The current working title I have on my second book is "The Human Trap." I don't know if it's been used before, but it's a working title.

I find that a working title does wonders for the book. For you, the writer, it establishes a theme that's supposed to be brought forward by the elements of the book. Here are a few tips on how to pick a working title:

1. Remember the genre you're in. If it's romance, pick something that is romantically corny. If sci-fi/fantasy, pick something sci-fi/fantasy and make it corny. (i.e. Lover's Spring, The World's War to give an idea)
2. Make it short and easy to remember. This way, when you save your work in progress, it will be easier to find rather than MyBook1,000,000 or version10.14.
3. It can rhyme. Try rhyming two words that sum up your book, a la Dr. Seuss style.

Remember, these are for your eyes only. No one else (except your critique group if you have one) is to know. The working title is for you, as a reminder to pick a title after the book is finished.

New Characters for a new story

Since I took a break from SOC, I started working on its followup story. Mostly for myself and cause I just had to get the ideas down somewhere as a "just in case".

Returning Characters:
Jack Wells; prisoner (male human from the territory Rulnudor) {Arrested for killing the Emperor}
Rhys Jones; fugitive (male human from the territory Libertia) {WANTED for suspected brainwashing}
Jessica Green; fugitive (female human from the destroyed city Calassa, now from Rulnudor) {WANTED for suspected brainwashing and assassinating the Emperor}
Tamara Lamnar; prisoner (female human from Libertia) {Arrested for being brainwashed and spreading Rulnudor propaganda}
Jori; fugitive (female human, origins are unknown) {WANTED for suspected brainwashing}
Kyle Daly; prisoner (male human from the destroyed city Calassa) {Arrested pending investigation of unknown circumstances}
General Tixe; general of the Rulnudor Special Operations Brigade (male human from Rulnudor)
Griff Wahl; prisoner (male human from the territory of Libertia) [moved from the original prologue and epilogue of SOC to here. His events have been erased] {Arrested for bribery}

New Characters:
Y; prisoner (female Mar'ahli) {Arrested for old prejudices}
Master Tesqui-Wiit; Ji-Jorhan martial arts instructor (male Ji-Jorhan from the territory Raji-Jorha)
Rou'tre; mechanic (female human from the territory Hydronkkers)
Sarline'batra; prisoner (male Azzaery) {Arrested for political reasons}
Oph'la; prisoner (female human/Hydronkker) {Arrested for sabotaging Rulnudor and Libertia vehicle compounds}
Bylee; prisoner (female Ji-Jorhan) {arrested for "threatening" an emissary}
Mira; Ji-Jorhan student (female Ji-Jorhan from Raji-Jorha)
Emperor Malton Alhai; ruler of Rulnudor (male human from the territory of Rulnudor)
Chief Walrot; ruler of Libertia (male human from Libertia)
Jeksonn Alhai; son of the Emperor (male human from Rulnudor)