I will be blogging on how I formulate my characters in the next few blogs. This is the first blog in a series about characters. I hope you enjoy it.

When I write, I like to think of my characters in categories and one category is evil. In many ways, in my mind, I like to put each character on a scale to see how much evil they are and how much that they are not. Depending on where my character may be in life and in my writing, will urge me to write them in certain ways. This is just a thing that I do. As much as I love to take an idea and run with it, I also want to create depth in my writing, so I like to take certain steps before I write, like when I look at my characters.

So as I am deciding on how much or less evil a character is, I formulate a plan of how I would write my character. I decide how much my character is too much evil for them and how much is not enough. For example: when I was thinking about writing the series of short stories, I took my killer and decided that this character was pure evil. And therefore they are capable of pretty much anything. However, when I wrote escapees, my first novel, the main bad character I decided was evil but not as extreme. Which meant that there were certain limitations to the character’s evil and how he would do things. This way when I write my characters, I write knowing when to add more badness to them and when to stop because it does not fit the character I wish to portray.

This is just one of many steps I take when in writing and with my characters.

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Have you ever felt overwhelmed when writing? Normally I do not, but this time I am. For some reason, I feel more overwhelmed with writing these days. I think that I feel that this book I am writing, it means so much to me that I pour my all into it, like I would do for any of my books. But I think that the techno killer’s book I have a different sense with it, I want it to be interesting and good, that people would want to read it. My need for perfection is causing me to feel overwhelmed with it all.

Not that I am not inspired and have the storyline in my head, but I want so much not to disappoint I tend to second guess myself. Does this ever happen to you? Sometimes taking so time off from writing is what is needed, I think. I have started the techno killer’s book. I do believe I need to put it aside and come back to it in a week or two. Even us writers need to take a break sometimes. So, I will be taking a short vacation. I will not stop writing my blogs, I will still be doing that for all those who read them.

This may make finishing the book take a bit longer, but the end results are what matters. There I will take a break, rejuvenate, and come back with a fresh mind and more ideas.

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How does one write a mysterious stranger? Well, I would say that it all comes down to how this mysterious stranger is like. Is he for good or for bad? Does he have evil intentions or more playful? When I write someone who is mysterious, I write it with the intention who what this person is there for. Whether it is for horrors or for fun, the mysterious stranger can still reflex a certain fear factor that can help create a certain vibe within a book. I do think that creating mystery is not as easy as it could seem. A writer has to not just make the character sound mysterious but also aloof and unknown to what their intentions are. Creating an unknown character, I find, can be fun and crazy at times. But as a writer, you have to have some fun in your work or why write?

Let me know how you create a mysterious stranger, would love to hear about it.  

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When people write or read books that have evil characters, do you hate them? Or do you understand them? Or maybe something else altogether. I like to think that I understand my characters and why they do what they do. Sometimes they have reasons that most may not understand, sometimes they are just pure evil. But I like to think that my characters are different and fascinating and I could not hate them.

When I read a book about a murderer or thief or some other kind of evil, I like to read trying to understand the character and not always hating them. Because once you hate a character, you want them gone from the book, but that does not always happen. So I like to come from a place of understanding even if I disagree with what they do or reasoning.

What are your thoughts? Hatred? Understanding? Or something else?

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When writing horror or thriller types of books, I like to ask this very question to myself. Where does the terror take me? I ask this so I can get a better idea of my writing and write something that moves from one point to the next, bringing in some sort of terror or excitement to the reader. I feel for my writing, this is an important part to make a novel terrifying yet not overwhelmingly so. I guess what I am saying is that asking this kind of question allows for a writer to see if what they are doing goes where they desire it to go and not go too far too fast or end up being too much for a reader. I do think it is important for us writers to ask certain questions to help us write the book we have in our mind and make it great.

What are the kinds of questions you ask yourself? I would love to hear them.

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It has come to my attention that maybe some people do not realize that my short stories are about one character and that they are in uniform and a beginning to a book about this character. I have started the book and want it to be great and will take the time I need to make it great. But these short stories were just a taste of what I write, a sample of a sort so that those interested can know what they are getting when it comes to my books. I also have a book available for those interested, although it is a bit different from my short stories

I thought because I write very dark kinds of novels that it would be best to send a sample to the world of how I write. This way you know what you are getting when it comes to my writing. I’m not the kind of writer that everyone will appreciate, I understand that and I am okay with it. I am unique as all writers are. But my creative mind and my writings can reach some and all those who can appreciate the darker side of life may appreciate my work.

We must appreciate all writers of all kinds, I feel bad for those who cannot see that we are all unique and deserve good criticism and not to be trashed for whatever purpose. I love all good criticism.

Thanks for all the good feedback, I appreciate them because it allows me to grow as a writer.

Fear is a necessary part of life. And I believe is one reason people love to read horror and thrillers because they enjoy being scared. So how do we portray fear? Well, there are many ways a writer can use fear in their book to enhance the book. I like to use fear with my characters, showing that what is happening around them and how it creates fear within them. Fear is so essential in how I write and what I write. I like the reader to feel a sense of dread for what the character is going through. It is not the only thing I wish the reader to get a sense of, but fear is a huge part of my books. I like to use fear in situations as well. Fear is such a huge part of life, whether it is fearing to do something or fearing what will be done unto you, we live with fear every day. It is how we react to the fear that makes it all interesting. And I like to portray reality as best as I can when I am writing, although not always possible because some of my books are more creative. Well, I hope I don’t disappoint.

If you are interested in reading my work, I have some short stories. I also have a book. Leave a comment, I’ll respond. I love to hear any thoughts.

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The feeling of isolation does not mean that you are alone. It is a feeling that you are on your own even if there are people around you. This concept is one that I like to use in my writing, especially with certain kinds of books. Because it can drive the fear factor sometimes within the book. When a person has a belief that they need to get out of a dangerous situation, but they are on their own to do it, it can drive a fear within that person. This sense of fear or doom can move a reader to want to know more and to know whether the character in the fear of impending doom will manage to get themselves out of it. I like this because it can help move the reader as well as change the navigation of the story. Like at first the writer may be thinking the person has to die but changes it because of how the story begins to develop. Using the feeling of isolation can help the writer with their character development, such as making the character more past their fears and have the courage to do what needs to be done, even if it’s something they would never do.

In the end, for me, writing is fun but has its challenges. I love using concepts like the feeling of isolation to help develop my characters and for the reader to get a better sense of who the character is and what kind of situation they are in. I have many concepts I like to use when writing, although I do not use them in every book I write. But I will share these concepts with the world, for maybe it can help a fellow writer.

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I’ve always love psychology and looking at people’s behaviors and why they do what they do. It’s a fascinating concept to see how a person reacts to certain situations. Each person is different in their reactions, but we all respond, and that, to me, is interesting to examine. The book ‘Escapees’ I wrote because the psychology of rape inspired me. But not just rape, the reactions of the female when she is stuck in a position of rape that does not feel like rape. In studying psychology, I have learned that it is possible that someone is rape but does not have pain, where it can seem like it’s not rape. This is a concept that is not widely understood.

People tend to associate rape with pain and suffering, but a person may be raped, and there is no pain or suffering. Does this mean there is no rape? No, it just means that the transgressor knew what they were doing. But that does not mean that it doesn’t screw with the mentality of the victim. In society, we see a woman getting raped as a painful, horrible thing. But, in actuality, it may just be an unwanted thing, which can create a mentality of ‘was this rape’ within the woman’s mind because how could she like what was undesirable, unwanted. This is what this book is all about, to shows a different side to being a captive and raped and being in a situation that is unwanted yet dealing with the desire to survive and a lack of understanding. It looks at the survivor instinct. It is a controversy, but this is what inspired me.

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I think when it comes to developing characters in a thriller or horror-type novel, a writer needs to figure out what kind of character they wish their character to be, one who flies away or one who fights. This makes a difference in how their character develops throughout their story. It is essential to know which one the character will be because it dramatically impacts how the story is written. I like to vary. Not every character needs to be the same, and not every character may act the same in flight or fight mode. Still, as a writer of this genre, I believe it’s important to know what kind of character you want for your story, one who fights or flies away, because it helps bring another depth into your book.

So what kind of character you like to write? For me, I like to write about both. I like the idea of a fighting character, but also a character in flight mode. Both have a specific method to see things, which allows my books to be written in particular ways. I find it interesting looking at both fight and flight when deciding on how I want my character to be.

Any thoughts? Let me know by leaving a comment.

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