As of right now, I’m about a day behind in word count. But at one point I was almost three days behind, so not too bad. I can make up that extra 500-600 words in no time.
My problem right now is that I feel like my story is dragging a little. I don’t want to get into the action too quickly, but I’m afraid I’ve put in too much stuff that’s unnecessary. But at the same time, I’ve had complaints, especially in the novellas, that I didn’t put in enough about the characters or the places. There are some people who want more detail and some who want less. You can’t please everyone. So what do you do? I just don’t want the story to drag on and on until the scary part starts. One thing I need to go back and do is give a little back story on the male MC. I don’t think we know enough about him.
So, here’s some questions. Do you like to know a lot or just a little about the characters in a book? Do you care about the minor characters? How much do you want to know about them? And do you want to delve deeply into the psyche of the MC’s, or do you just want to get to the action?
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i like lots of detail so i can see it, like a movie, and be each character as it moves along. sometimes that causes a bit of dragging, but it also builds up the anticipation for me.
It’s so hard sometimes to find that fine line between too much and not enough. But you want to know your characters.
I’m all about the detail about people and places…AS LONG AS it’s important and salient to the plot. If it just feels like random world building or infodumpage, I’m definitely in the “get on with it” camp. I think that’s really the balance that you have to strike…making what information and detail you’re putting in really RELEVANT.
Kait, I feel like people really want to know what makes the MCs tick. Sometimes I’m bad about giving info on the female MC, but not about the male. And you’re right, there has to be a balance between too much and not enough. That’s the hard part.
I think you need to insert it along with the story at the points where it matters. There is a fine line between getting all the information in there and boring the reader. But there is also a fine line within yourself as an author as to what you want to tall people about all your characters and what you think they need to know, or what makes the story make sense. I read mine trying to make it run but giving the reader enough information to imagine the picture in their mind.
But you’re selling a hundred to one of mine so your doing it right. Don’t worry about the complaints; especially your novellas, you can’t put ten pounds of taters in a five pounds sack!
LOL, Jon, about the taters!
If you can gradually get each character’s story in instead of dumping in there all at once, it’s much better, I think. What I’ve written so far on the garden gnome book tells quite a bit about the female, but we know almost nothing about the male. I think I’m going to go back and insert POV for him, so we’ll know a little more. And because of the kind of book it is (or is supposed to be), we need to know a little more about some of the minor characters. I may do POVs for all of them from time to time.
I am one who will skip long sections of narrative (if I’m in a novel that’s “supposed” to be suspense or what not). I do want to know the characters. I want them to feel real. If they don’t I will put the book down regardless of the plot.
It’s definitely a balancing act, which I’m dealing with in my current WIP also. I started second guessing myself because during a conversation between five characters I was “telling” some backstory. I wondered, okay, are readers going to get bored with this? I’ll have to read my draft from the beginning when I’m done and hopefully intuition will tell me if it works or not.
Jessica, when I use dialogue to tell part of the story, I get complaints from beta readers that I have too much dialogue. If I use narrative, they want more dialogue. And we are told to show instead of tell, but sometimes you can’t get the whole story just by actions. So it’s like walking on a tightrope and hoping you don’t fall off. And you’ll never end up pleasing everyone. I like books with lots of dialogue. I like descriptions as long as they don’t go on and on.
Everyone is different. I guess that’s why my books get both 1 star and 5 star reviews. LOL
I’m with you, I like dialogue to reveal the characters. I don’t get too descriptive ever and the people that don’t like my books really don’t like that.:) Try not to worry too much about what readers are suggesting you do and not do. Just write your style and the people that like it will read your other stuff and the people that don’t will go find writers that use more description. There are plenty of readers to go around for all of us.
Aren’t I being optimistic today? I should probably e-mail this comment to myself and get it tattooed on my forehead.
Thanks for the advice, Stacey. Part of my problem is that it’s in my nature to try to please everybody. If there’s a such thing as being too nice, that’s my problem. LOL
That’s why reviews vary so much, though. Not everyone will like the same books.
Interesting topic, one I have a LOT to learn about. I like when the backstory of the MC’s feed into what they are doing now.
Something comes to mind about MC’s – as much as you want people to be real – if there were not something exceptional about them, the story wouldn’t be happening TO them. Even if it’s normal people involved in abnormal events – normal people would just leave and you would have no story!
So, for me, an exceptional person has to be filled out enough to ‘read’ as a real human, but with something to explain why he or she didn’t bolt when the first nail popped out of the coffin! Just a thought, and I’m pretty sure I recall if from something on Hero-types, so I doubt it’s my own original thought.
You’re clearly doing something right though, so, er, keep doing it!!!
Thanks Shari! I think if I get some more back story on the male MC, it will make it more interesting. This is my first attempt at horror, and it’s a lot more different from writing paranormal romance than I thought. 🙂
“You can please some of the people some of the time…”
I’m also struggling with the character development vs. action issue. I’m kind of leaning towards, ‘it depends on the story’. Since my current focus is my zombie trilogy, I’m anticipating that fans of the genre are very action-focused. So, I’m keeping character introspection and development to a minimum. But, in a paranormal romance or horror story, that character development can be very important to building the intensity. I think the skill in that is finding a way to do it without making backstory and inner thoughts a drag on the story line. Whatever your final recipe is, I’m really looking forward to reading this gnome story 🙂
Yeah, I know, but I want to please EVERYBODY! LOL
Even though this is horror instead of PR, I feel like there has to be some insight into the characters. Because there will be romance, too. I just can’t seem to write a story without that. It just won’t be the main focus. My first attempt at horror may flop, but I’m going to give it my best shot.
This book may end up being “light horror”. We’ll see.
I think regardless of the genre you need character development because the reader won’t be able to connect deeply with the story otherwise. Your characters will go through things us mortals never will, so the only way for us to care is to throw in some back story we relate to.
Suppose the friendship between two characters is important to the climax of the story. Sure, you’ll have them doing heroic stuff, but if you show them interacting at work, I’ll be able relate to their strong bond personally.
The plot is more important than action scenes. You could have one or two in the whole book and they’ll pack a much bigger punch with solid development, as Kait said, relative to the plot.
Thanks for the input, Andrew. This being the horror story that it is, there will be a lot of dependence on action scenes (which scare the crap out of me). But if the readers are going to feel for the characters, they have to know them. So there has to be character development.
I’m sure you’ll figure it all out.