That’s a good notion. With multiple interpretations of course.
Writers who are introverts may already be running away from this post. Wait!
This post is not about us as people, but about how to IMPROVE our WRITING in general to impress readers.
How do you inject personality without going too far?
I recently attended an in-person conference where not only the agent panel talked about “looking for personality” in your query and writing, but panels of authors, contest judges, poets, and others boiled things down to “personality.”
Personality sells. It’s a tool to improve your writing project, even making it seem easier or more satisfying for you.
Even social media are important. Agents said they look at social media to see if you are “lifting up people” with your messaging versus otherwise.
Let’s stick with personality in the writing project in this post.
We know we shouldn’t be dull. Let’s get more helpful for techniques you can apply right now.
The dictionary gives small clues. “Personality” means the PATTERNS and the QUALITY of the behavior as expressed by physical and mental activities and attitudes. Right there you have a handy list of several things to use to develop a new character or to massage a character that isn’t yet capturing reader attention.
The conference “horror workshop” gave another clue for building better personality in all types of stories. Horror relies on EMPATHY for the character. That’s true of any type of story, whether romance, thrillers, general fiction or even memoirs. How soon do we learn three important things about your character that will draw us into the story? I advise writers strive to have those three things on page one or somehow hinted there.
At this conference keynoter Christina Clancy said she works on “personality” in her prose in other ways.
“You always remember the vibe of a book even if you forget the story.”
Wow. VIBE. What is the vibe your pages are giving off to readers?
Again—what is the personality?
Clancy also mentioned a practical technique: When you get stuck on page 72, go back and think about why you wanted to write the story.
Her advice holds true for poems or anything—remember why you started your project in the first place. Re-capture your vibe—the PERSONALITY you so loved in the beginning.
In the picture book workshop, the same sentiment came out this way: “Lean into your weird.”
Figure out what makes your project WEIRD in the sense that it’s truly YOU. Is it the character? Structure? Voice? Word choice? Emotion? Action? Objects? Your weird makes you unique and worthy to readers.
Our own personality drives our writing. “Remember in the middle you are OPTIMISTIC,” Clancy said. “Editing is an act of optimism.”
A conference poetry session gave us this exercise, and it’s a good one for a writer OR YOUR CHARACTER to complete.
“I knew I was ____________________when __________________.”
My character knew X when…?
I knew I was a writer when…
…When I was inspired to add more PERSONALITY to my writing.
(The conference referred to is an annual autumn one sponsored by Wisconsin Writers Association.)
Christine DeSmet: Author 