Picture of the Month

Is Your Character Two-Dimensional?

My brother, in his own comical way, once commented on how annoying it was when he ran into people he knew at public places. He might see someone from church or school at the store and think, "Why are you here? I thought you didn't have a life. You just go to church or school; you're not supposed to do anything else!" Of course, he was joking. Everyone has a life beyond whatever simple title we may know them by... "classmate", "store clerk", "church attender", etc. Even if we can't see the rest of their life, we know it exists. Why? Because no real human is "two-dimensional"! God has gifted each of us with individual traits, talents, personalities, and life situations that are unique from anyone else. Guess what? Your characters shouldn't be two-dimensional, either - or else your readers will have trouble seeing them as real people.

According to changingminds.org, a two-dimensional character is "simple and unexplained". It goes on to say that two-dimensional characters are sometimes okay if they're minor characters (the waiter at a restaurant, someone we pass in the street), but if major characters are 2D, the story will fall flat. Instead, major characters need to be three-dimensional. The website continues to say that three-dimensional characters are "... believable. They appear as credible people who you might know. Like humans, they have flaws and failings. They are individual and also seek to relate to others."

So, how do you make your characters three-dimensional? My personal suggestion is to ask yourself a series of questions about them; comparing them to real people and seeing how they contrast. Here are some examples:

* What does my character fear?

* What are his hopes?

* Does he have a childhood memory that shapes who he is today?

* Does he have any secret talents?

* What is the most important thing in the world to him?

* Who is he closest to?

* Who is his worst enemy?

Do you have any other useful questions that could be added to this list, or other hints for making three-dimensional characters? Please comment your thoughts!

Tim Hawkins Video: The Government Can

This is the newest from the hilarious Christian comedian, Tim Hawkins.

The Flame Shall Not Scorch You...

If you read the welcome message on my blog's sidebar, (it's rather hard to miss), you may have noticed that I'm in the process of writing a fantasy novel that I plan on publishing when I finish. It will be my first published book, so I'm excited to see how it will go!

I won't release the title yet, (partially because I'm still not entirely certain what it will be), but I will provide updates every so often on my progress. I'll let you know when my book gets closer to being finished. Right now, I'm almost 1/4 of the way to my wordcount goal: 100,000 words. The wordcount is presently 24,058. If you wish, you can watch my progress on the sidebar.

Speaking of progress, I'm almost done with my 50-book reading goal. I only have one more book to read... but it's a whopper (562 pages!), so I'll probably be working on that one for a while!

And finally, a word of encouragement from Isaiah 43:2: "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned. Nor shall the flame scorch you." This is God's promise to us. Thank You, Lord!

Cool Contest!

I'd like to point you in the direction of Christian author Wayne Thomas Batson's blog, www.enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com, for a new contest about the book he coauthored with Christopher Hopper. Prizes can include autographed copies of their new book, Curse of the Spider King; free books by the authors for the rest of your life; and even meeting the authors face-to-face! Click on this link to read about the contest on Wayne Thomas Batson's blog: http://enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com/2009/09/biggest-contest-in-history-of-men-and.html

Or, click on this link to read about it on Christopher Hopper's blog: http://www.christopherhopper.com/2009/09/tribe-building-begins/

~*~*~*~

Other books by the authors include... (click on them to see the books on Amazon)
Rise of the Dibor by Christopher Hopper
The Lion Vrie by Christopher Hopper
Athera's Dawn by Christopher Hopper (not on Amazon yet)
The Door Within by Wayne Thomas Batson
The Rise of the Wyrm Lord by Wayne Thomas Batson
The Final Storm by Wayne Thomas Batson
Isle of Swords by Wayne Thomas Batson
Isle of Fire by Wayne Thomas Batson

(Read my review on Wayne Thomas Batson's best-selling trilogy, The Door Within, by clicking HERE.)