tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-551608342749773751.post1700552445857630635..comments2024-03-08T20:41:23.825-08:00Comments on Author Heather McCorkle: Digging Deep For Character MotivationHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05130733681254163610noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-551608342749773751.post-6117637173252378972010-10-18T08:27:42.332-07:002010-10-18T08:27:42.332-07:00Thank you Linda! I'm glad it could help. :-)Thank you Linda! I'm glad it could help. :-)Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130733681254163610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-551608342749773751.post-66242699152952551762010-10-18T08:02:56.493-07:002010-10-18T08:02:56.493-07:00Heather, this is excellent! I love it when you di...Heather, this is excellent! I love it when you dig deep -- I always take away something incredibly valuable to use in my own writing. Thank you!Linda Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18001433214194860481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-551608342749773751.post-19855439586965075342010-10-14T15:13:24.997-07:002010-10-14T15:13:24.997-07:00It is easy to overlook isn't it Lindsey? I nev...It is easy to overlook isn't it Lindsey? I never realized how much I overlooked or left out until I started outlining it all and digging into my character's past. Thanks, that's so encouraging to hear that my next book sounds great! :-)Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130733681254163610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-551608342749773751.post-27531563911894001772010-10-14T13:41:56.600-07:002010-10-14T13:41:56.600-07:00I've been working through this in my own WIP. ...I've been working through this in my own WIP. Since figuring out all the little details the book has vastly improved. It's something so obvious yet so easy to overlook. I love how you laid it out and the next book sounds great Heather!Lindsey Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15398211816930946648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-551608342749773751.post-74891298088711514992010-10-14T11:52:52.646-07:002010-10-14T11:52:52.646-07:00LOL! Vague yes, but I get what you mean. Motivatio...LOL! Vague yes, but I get what you mean. Motivation is best when it is revealed slowly throughout the work. Thanks, she is going to be a strong one!Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130733681254163610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-551608342749773751.post-50813332263139870382010-10-14T08:45:09.620-07:002010-10-14T08:45:09.620-07:00Great insights. Motivation is so important. In m...Great insights. Motivation is so important. In my newest manuscript, the motivation is so important, I have to reveal slowly throughout where the MC came from and why she is the way she is. Vague huh? :D I like the sound of your new WIP. Strong female characters are always great.Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-551608342749773751.post-7905262441588917052010-10-13T22:41:33.334-07:002010-10-13T22:41:33.334-07:00Don't feel bad Melissa, my last couple of book...Don't feel bad Melissa, my last couple of books were the same way. I had to go back and add all the layers afterward. Now I make a point to add things like this to my outline and it saves me a lot of time!Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130733681254163610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-551608342749773751.post-60746039842273501492010-10-13T19:45:12.956-07:002010-10-13T19:45:12.956-07:00I didn't really do this for the first draft of...I didn't really do this for the first draft of my WIP. After I finished, I went back and dug onto my MC's past. From that, I found a lot of things that should have motivated her in my story (as well as the other characters), things that I left out. Now I'm having to go back and add those layers. It's hard, but the story is already so much better.Melissa Hursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15530652829980250261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-551608342749773751.post-8682920692759770942010-10-13T13:20:57.155-07:002010-10-13T13:20:57.155-07:00Thank you Shallee! I find myself doing the same th...Thank you Shallee! I find myself doing the same thing. My characters deepen with each re-write. It does make it much more interesting by the final edit doesn't it?Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130733681254163610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-551608342749773751.post-42773871090815855662010-10-13T13:19:33.443-07:002010-10-13T13:19:33.443-07:00Wow Karlene, that's exactly the kind of motiva...Wow Karlene, that's exactly the kind of motivation I'm talking about! We need to infuse our characters with that. To avoid a lot of backstory I show reactions and the way they deal with things with a line or two of inner monologue or thoughts about why. Or you can always use conversation as a way to bring out their past, especially with developing relationships. I hope that helps!Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130733681254163610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-551608342749773751.post-89168363352884966712010-10-13T13:17:03.078-07:002010-10-13T13:17:03.078-07:00Thanks Shannon. You'll love the WD article!Thanks Shannon. You'll love the WD article!Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130733681254163610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-551608342749773751.post-25744323629390339272010-10-13T12:21:31.743-07:002010-10-13T12:21:31.743-07:00Ooh, I like this post! I think it's easy to ju...Ooh, I like this post! I think it's easy to just do surface motivations, and that's usually what my characters have first off. But then, as I get to know them better, I figure out their deeper motivations. It makes them so much more interesting!Shalleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09907680428735740943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-551608342749773751.post-55760696858407850012010-10-13T11:53:46.839-07:002010-10-13T11:53:46.839-07:00Heather, this is a wonderful perspective on true m...Heather, this is a wonderful perspective on true motivation. A very good friend of mine has been is killing herself, and relationships, to amass wealth. Now, her glass house is about to crash down, with the housing market. Everything is falling apart. Last night she told me she yelled at her mother for the first time, ever, for leaving her when she was 14. And she's battled with her Dad for his not acknowledging her wealth...ie., success. Wow. Her motivation through her life was wealth means security. If you have money, people don't leave. And they respect you. Now...her money is leaving and the past is surfacing as to why it was important.<br />Now I understand her so much more about her behavior, and what to do with my novel. <br />I'm going to dig deep and figure out how to show my protagonist's motivation because of her past. How do you do that without a lot of back story?<br />Thanks for another excellent post!Karlene Petitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17910702587514001827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-551608342749773751.post-9096900561096197472010-10-13T11:45:40.048-07:002010-10-13T11:45:40.048-07:00Great character post, Heather! Thanks for the WD ...Great character post, Heather! Thanks for the WD link. I'll check out the article. :-)Shannon O'Donnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17299313309059235876noreply@blogger.com