Michelle Lauren

Today I’m joined by author Keta Diablo, author of the sexy m/m vampire romance, THE SIN EATER’S PRINCE (available from Ravenous Romance).

In honor of her new release, Keta chats characters with us.
3-D isn’t JUST for movies; the best stories include characters that “feel” real. Making them 3-Dimensional is the most effective way.

GIVEAWAY ENDS: February 5th, 10 AM Eastern Standard Time

Keta, we’re all ears — and grabby, book-loving hands.

Thanks Michelle for hosting me today on your lovely site. Let’s talk a little about characters today and why some are one-dimensional, two-dimensional and three-dimensional.

Have you ever read a review where the reviewer points to “shallow” characters in the novel? I know I have, and that’s why I feel it’s so important for writers to allot their characters depth. So what is depth, and what do you mean by “dimensional” characters?

I think it’s crucial that readers understand who the characters are: what makes them tick, and particularly what the character’s identifying features are. I’m not necessarily talking about physical features, but consistency and manner of speech, body language and internal thoughts on how he/she views the world. A character is not merely a gorgeous person with eyes of blue. He/she is a composition of many events that has made him/her what they are today.

Their emotions are multifaceted and often conflicting. They could come from troubled backgrounds or perhaps have been born with silver spoons in their mouths. Whatever the case, in order for readers to understand and relate to your characters, writers need to delve into a character’s history to make them likeable and real (or not so likeable in the villain’s case). It’s also important the readers believe (and can picture) the character existing before your story even began — thus the history.

Shallow characters (one-dimensional) have no real story, no identifying aspects to their personality. They’re merely walk-ons in your novel and won’t make lasting impressions. Readers will soon get bored with reading about someone they can’t identify with or like, and will no doubt put the book down. This, of course, is the last thing you want them to do.

Two-dimensional characters might have one identifying trait or a smidgeon of history, but why stop there? Write your characters as if they are a person you’d love to know. In fact, you should be so fascinated by their thoughts about life, their opinions, that you long to know everything about them, including their past.

If your hero or heroine lacks depth or dimension, reviewers/readers might refer to them as cardboard characters, another term you want to avoid at all costs. This means they’re typical ordinary, forgettable people or par for the course in motives and goals. While writing about them, you might have hinted about a like or dislike they possess, but there you stopped, leaving the thought underdeveloped without explaining why they dislike the color purple or why they adore women in hats. What’s the history behind their abhorrence, fetish or passion?

One of the great things about writing is that you, the author, have control over the portrayals of your characters. Make them bigger than life; exaggerate their habits, annoyances, likes and dislikes. Make every aspect about them memorable in the reader’s mind.

Here’s a very short example of revealing something about the character’s background by subtly weaving it into dialogue. This is from my series, Crossroads and is contained in Crossroads Revisited (Available from Phaze Publishing). Here, one of the main characters, Rand, is having a conversation with his college professor about his lack of attentiveness in class. We learn that Rand’s dependence on his older lover, Frank McGuire, stems at least in part because he misses his father.

The professor’s tone softened. “Does your mother have a husband, Mr. Brennan? Perhaps I should speak to your father about your latent distractions and boredom in class. I’m certain he’d want to know how his money is being frittered away.”

“Not anymore.” Flashbacks of Rand’s father rose behind his eyelids and tears surfaced. He fought them back and looked into Professor McBride’s eyes. “He died about six years ago, shot during a bank robbery.”

The man stilled and studied him.

You won’t regret giving your characters three-dimensions to their personalities. Here’s an excellent article from The Writing Tools Blogspot about Writing Character Bios for your stories. I highly recommend reading it.

Happy writing and reading! ~ Keta

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GUEST AUTHOR BIO:
Keta’s latest release is The Sin Eater’s Prince, a male/male vampire novel set in historical Wales. You can find out more about The Sin Eater’s Prince at Ravenous Romance

Don’t forget to sign up for Keta’s newsletter if you’d like to know when she has a new book being released. Keta gives away three FREE books every month. Sign up here.

About The Sin Eater’s Prince:

Owen Rhys, the sin eater of his village in Wales, has been shunned by the local villagers his entire life–except by Andras Maddock, the local physician. In love with the one man he thinks will never return that love, Owen is shocked when Andras saves him from death at the hands of a vampire and admits he cares deeply for Owen.

Star-crossed love, sorcery, and bloodlust collide on a vengeful path where only one side can remain victorious. Revenge and redemption. Dark versus light. Good versus evil. The Sin Eater’s Prince.

TODAY’S GIVEAWAY

Win ONE copy of THE SIN EATER’S PRINCE today! You can enter the drawing in two ways:

OR

Congratulations to Tamela! You won a copy of THE SIN EATER’S PRINCE. Keta will contact you soon to see which of our blog(s) you’re following & what format of the book you want.

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