Pinning down those characters

Some argue that novels and short stories are all about character and that plot doesn’t matter all that much. I personally think that story is crucial – especially to the children, teens and young adults I write for. However, story only works properly if it comes out of character, and the stories are only convincing if the characters are believable. The story comes out of the tension between them and form a setting that acts upon them.

Writers really need to know their characters inside out, upside down and back to front. They must know the physical, the intellectual and emotional traits, what is important in this story, what their greatest ambition is and what they fear most. The writer needs to know it but doesn’t necessarily need to share all of it.  Magically, it often comes across anyway.

The characters must be true to themselves throughout the novel / story and they must grow – especially in a young adult novel. They must also be rounded – never completely evil nor completely good.              

This is what I’ve been looking at in my latest edit. Because of the way Potatoes in Spring is structured it was relatively easy to look at one character at a time. I was able to follow the Renate strand, the Hani strand, and then look at the individual girls’ letters, then Hanna Braun and Käthe Edler. I did have to read more generally for the more background characters.  And yes, they are important too.

Most of the growth happens in Renate and Hani, but the others all must move on too.

Have I succeeded in getting the characters right? I hope so. In fact, if I’m to be professional about this, I am duty-bound to do so. But can I see it clearly enough? Thank goodness for critique groups!

At least I like all of my characters. Even the dysfunctional SS officer who constantly snipes at Renate’s mind.

And so, onwards!             

Creating a balanced character

It’s a real opportunity to get a character right.  Normally I don’t write one plot at a time, as I am doing now.  But it is proving rather useful this time.

My main character is being looked after well in England. She has told herself she will make sure she enjoys being English. At times, she does this quite well. But something always comes along to stop her being fully integrated: she misunderstands how the English celebrate Christmas, she worries about what the Germans are doing to her new home or she becomes very aware of how different she is from her friends, not just because she is Jewish, or German, but also because she is not living in a family.

Many chapters finish with a bit of an obstacle: she makes good progress in accepting that she has to become English and something reminds her that she cannot quite be. I’m having to guard against becoming too formulaic. Today’s chapter went the other way to some extent. She is worried that now she is sixteen she is defined as an enemy alien. The local policeman thinks it’s a bit of a joke and is going to take little notice of that rule.

Can we like her enough? Do we feel too much pity for her?  Is she whinging a bit? Or not enough? Another one for the critique group?