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Once you have the scene outlined, it is time to develop the content.1. Opening Line: Set up the conflict in the scene.
2. First paragraphs: Orient us: where are we, when is it, who is present, and what do they want?
3. Introduce theme and make sure the goal is understood.
4. Follow a logical chain of events: The action or conversation is followed by a visceral response, then a conscious response, then recovery/thinking/planning, then the outcome which should result in a new goal.
Make sure you show a recovery after all key scenes and turning points.
5. Vary the speed to create a flow that keeps a reader interested.
1) Slow, fast, slow.
2) Slow, medium, fast.
3) Fast, medium, slow.
4) Medium, fast, slow.
Vary sentence structure. Vary the speed within the scene. Nonstop action without resting beats is too fast. All internal narration and narration without action beats is too slow. Highlight the fast parts. Are there peaks and valleys? Have quieter, slower conflicts between big turning points and reveals.
Every tense action scene should have a rise, impact, and fall. Every tense conversation should have a lead up to a tense exchange, a verbal zinger, and a response. Show the recovery, leave a hook with the new complication.
Slow speed includes blend of description, narrative, internal dialogue and narrative, and exposition (i.e. background information). Long cumulative sentences are slow (use sparingly). Facts, review, summary, backstory, and flashbacks are slow.
Use Medium/Normal pacing when the story is progressing but nothing special is happening. Good for setting a scene or transitioning between two dramatic scenes. Give readers a break from the action and slow down the pace. Use an even blend of description, dialogue, narration, and exposition. Include step by step detail. Use compound sentences with limited detail. Use fleshed out dialogue interposed with action beats and short internal thoughts. Focus on a specific encounter or activity.
Use Atmospheric pacing to create a mood or feeling in a chapter. Set a scene, establish tone, or foreshadow events, often all at the same time. Blend physical and psychological description to set the mood. The story is moving forward but the blend of descriptions suffuses the scene with the desired effect.
Use Suspenseful pacing to keep readers on the edge of their seat. Focus on step by step detail and action that work toward but delay the ultimate payoff. Use short, choppy rhythm, then long beats, then short, choppy beats. Suspense is slow but seems fast because the reader speeds up as he rushes to see how events play out.
Someone is being hunted or struggling. Allow the reader to feel anxiety. Dialogue with a little action and description thrown in can be suspenseful, tense. Use description to set up scary mood. Drag out tension. The verbal camera is at a wide angle. The catalyst could be sights, smells, sounds, touch, anxiety. Zoom in closer until on the face or inside head. The climax should be in virtual slow motion, blow by blow focus on the words and actions.
Use fast pace to create tension. Dialogue is fast with little action or thoughts and lots of white space. High action scenes or characters engaged in emotional confrontations are fast. Short summary can be fast. Short dialogue and action beats, base clauses, and short sentences add speed. The verbal camera is zoomed in all the way. Save high speed for important turning points. Focus on one element to the exclusion of all others, just dialogue or narration of action. Leave out description beyond physical action. Use short snappy sentences. Avoid details like left and right that force your reader to think about it. Once involved in the action, switch to longer compound and cumulative sentences. Pause when characters pause to maintain the illusion.
6. Closing line: End with a hook to set up next scene and convince the reader to turn the page.For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.
Now that you have the basic concept for your plot and have developed ideas for scenes, it is time to write them. Let's examine what constitutes a scene.
A scene consists of specific characters in one location going after a specific goal at a specific time. Characters can enter and exit a scene. Characters can move from one location to another. The important part is to not waste page time on the boring details of transport from one place to another and to avoid timeline plot holes with starting out in the morning and having it pitch black night ten minutes later. In every scene, we need to know where we are, when it is, who is present, and whether they get what they want.
SCENE WORKSHEET
Scene# ___
Goal:____________________________________________________________
POV:_________________________________________________________________
What are the obstacles involved?:
_____________________________________________________________________
It the goal achieved? ¨Yes ¨No ¨Yes, but ¨No and furthermore
Type of Conflict: ¨External # __ ¨Antagonist # ___ ¨Interpersonal #____
or ¨Internal # ____
Source of Conflict:_____________________________________________________________
Who is involved: ¨ Protagonist ¨Antagonist ¨Love Interest ¨Friends # ___________ ¨Foes#_______________
¨Main Plot or ¨Subplot____
Setting/Timeline:________________________________________________________
Physical Location:(geographic, room or building, outside, inside, in a vehicle, etc.).
____________________________________________________________________
Date: ____________________ Day of Week:_________________________________
Time ___ o’clock
¨ Morning ¨ Mid Morning ¨Noon ¨Afternoon ¨ Evening ¨Night
Season: ¨ Spring ¨Summer ¨Fall ¨Winter
Holiday or other special occasion_____________________________________
Weather or Room Conditions:____________________________________________________
Opening Line: __________________________________________________
Closing Line:___________________________________________________
For downloadable forms please visit http://www.dianahurwitz.com.
For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.
Once you have the premise, the antagonist, the friends, foes, and overall story problem. It is time to break it down into layers. By coming up with at least ten scene ideas for each conflict layer, you can keep the plot moving forward in satisfying curves and twists, keeping the verbal camera on the move.
Layer One: External Conflict
What is the main story problem that all of your characters are dealing with?
These conflicts will test the protagonist’s courage, nerves, and determination.
List at least ten things that will happen to escalate this conflict: snags in the plan, unexpected discoveries, increasing levels of threat, and arrange them in an order that will make the most impact with the final scene being the resolution.
(Examples: finds gun, interviews suspect, confronts best friend, goes on date, looks for answer, can’t find someone).
At each step is the protagonist moving toward or away from the goal?
Layer two: Antagonist Conflict
How will the protagonist and antagonist face off? Use these scenes to reveal how they will pursue and evade or influence one another.
These conflicts will test the protagonist’s knowledge, ingenuity, and strength.
They are battles of will and wit. If the story involves multiple points of view and the antagonist is one of them, these scenes would be written following his or her point of view. All of the conflicts lead to the climactic confrontation with the protagonist.
List ten ideas.
Is the protagonist moving toward or away from his goal?
If these scenes follow the antagonist's POV, is he moving toward or away from his goal?
Layer three: Interpersonal Conflicts
How will the protagonist be affected by his friends and foes?
These conflicts will test the protagonist’s friendships, and loyalties.
Friends and foes can be used in any combination of scenes that fit with your story line. Make a list of Interpersonal Conflicts and who they will be with. Remember, not all are negative. There can be positive encounters.
List ten ideas.
Which friend or foe is involved? Are they helping or hindering?
The fourth layer: Internal Conflict
These scenes test the protagonist's will to continue the fight.
These scenes explore the personal dilemma of the protagonist that will lead to the point of change. He can do this through internal dialogue or dialogue with someone acting as his foil.
This is where you reveal the event that happened in the past and how it changed him. This is him dealing with the death of his partner, the loss of his wife, the child he didn’t save. These scenes can show him struggling with a habit or addiction or an ailing parent or wife.
This often culminates in the section after the climax, where we find out if the protagonist is going to live happily ever after. It can also culminate just prior to the climax. That does not mean other characters cannot be in these scenes or that he is not doing anything. It means his thoughts, reactions and actions illustrate the dilemma that is driving him toward his point of change.
List ten ideas. Is the protagonist solving or complicating his dilemma?
Now arrange the conflicts in the order that work best for your story. Try not to stack too many scenes of any one type together. Keep the flow steady.
For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.
Let's take the information we've developed and place it into a basic synopsis.
In my (word count) _________________ (genre)_______________________ novel,
(title) ____________________________________________________________,
(protagonist)____________________________________________is confronted by
(inciting event)_______________________________________________________,
leading to (overall story problem)______________________________________
and forcing him/her to (story goal)_______________________________________
Along the way he/she needs to resolve (personal dilemma)_____________________
which results in (point of change)________________________________________
Standing in his/her way is (antagonist)_____________________________________
who is determined to (antagonist’s goal)___________________________________.
As a result, the protagonist:
o succeeds and feels good about it
o succeeds and feels bad about it
o fails and feels good about it
o fails feels bad about it)
and learns (theme)___________________________________________________.
These are the bare bones of a synopsis. Making it sparkle requires your word polish.
For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.
Last week, we began our story architecture process with the protagonist and antagonist. This week, we continue to answer questions and add layers.
FRIENDSList the friendly characters and their motivations and/or opinions on the central theme.
Friend #1 Character Name: ____________________
Enters the story in Scene#___________ Exits the story in Scene#___________
This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by: ________________________________________________
Friend #2 Character Name: ___________________________________
Enters the story in Scene#_____ Exits the story in Scene#____
This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:__________________________________________________________________
Friend #3 Character Name:________________________________________
Enters the story in Scene#_____ Exits the story in Scene#____
This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:_________________________________________________________________
Friend #4 Character Name: ___________________________________________
Enters the story in Scene#______ Exits the story in Scene#____
This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:__________________________________________________________________
Friend #5 Character Name: ___________________________________________
Enters the story in Scene#______ Exits the story in Scene#______
This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:_________________________________________________________________
Friend #6 Character Name: ___________________________________________
Enters the story in Scene#________ Exits the story in Scene#______
This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:___________________________________________________________
Friend #7 Character Name: ______________________________________
Enters the story in Scene#______ Exits the story in Scene#_____
This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:___________________________________________________________
Friend #8 Character Name: ______________________________________
Enters the story in Scene#______ Exits the story in Scene#_____
This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:______________________________________________________________
Friend #9 Character Name: ____________________________________
Enters the story in Scene#_______ Exits the story in Scene#_________
This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:____________________________________________________________
Friend #10 Character Name:______________________________________
Enters the story in Scene#_____ Exits the story in Scene#_______
This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:____________________________________________________________
Next week, we continue to add layers by developing the foes.
For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.
Over the next few weeks, during the month of NanoWriMo, I thought I'd walk you through my process of outlining a story based on my theory set out in the Story Building Blocks series of books.
By working through a series of questions you can build a basic story skeleton.
1) What is your initial premise or set up?__________________________________
2) Which will drive your story?
1 If your story is plot driven, it will sit on a genre shelf.
1 If it is character driven, it will most likely sit on the literary shelf.
3) In my story the main character struggles with the overall story problem and learns
(Theme): ___________________________________________________________
4) My protagonist is: __________________________________________________
Enters the story in Scene#___________ Exits the story in Scene#___________
5) If there is a love interest, he or she is: ___________________________________
Enters the story in Scene#___________ Exits the story in Scene#___________
6) As the result of the (inciting event) the protagonist is forced to face the overall
story problem:_______________________________________________________
7) The inciting event forces the protagonist to make a decision or take action to (story
goal): ______________________________________________________________
8) Achieving this goal is complicated by his/her having to deal with (personal dilemma): ___________________________________________________________
9) In achieving (or not achieving) the story goal, the character resolves his/her personal dilemma in this way (point of change): _____________________________________
10) The characteristic/ability that keeps the protagonist from ignoring the story
problem is (character flaw or weakness):
__________________________________________________________________
11) The characteristic/ability that enables him to solve the story problem is (secret
weapon):___________________________________________________________
12) Directly opposed to the protagonist’s goal is the (antagonist or antagonistic force
such as god, society, nature, self) ___________________________________________
Enters the story in Scene#___________ Exits the story in Scene#___________
13) The antagonist’s wants to (antagonist’s goal): ____________________________
14) The reason the antagonist is capable of stopping the protagonist is (antagonist’s
secret weapon):______________________________________________________
15) But in the end the antagonist is unsuccessful because of (antagonist’s character
flaw):______________________________________________________________
16) The antagonist fails in his goal and (antagonist point of change if there is one or his disposition at the end: changed, dead, locked up, free to strike again):
__________________________________________________________________
Tune in next week as we continue to build our story skeleton.
For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.
We have picked a subgenre, developed external scenes that affect the story world, antagonist scenes where the hero and evil face off, and interpersonal scenes where friends and foes help and hinder.
Internal Conflict scenes are where the protagonist debates his belief in ghosts or wrestles with his depression over the death of his mother.
The scientist wonders if he should finally ask his co-researcher out for a date.
He struggles with whatever force is driving him to kill the monster or prove that aliens are out there.
These scenes are sometimes missing in the horror story, unless it is psychological horror. Personal stakes and character change enrich any story.
Whatever his internal struggle is, it should make solving the overall story problem difficult, if not impossible.
For more information on the Horror genre, visit http://www.horror.org.
For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.
We've selected a subgenre, created external scenes and antagonist scenes. Now let's take a look at how the friends and foes complicate the situation.
Interpersonal Conflict scenes are where the protagonist consults a priest about banishing the demon.
He learns from the librarian that all ghosts have unfinished business.
His buddy tells him he is crazy for believing in ghosts in the first place.
This is usually where they learn the monster’s Achilles heel.
The hero finds someone to let him into the witch’s castle.
People will encourage him to stay and fight and some will beg him to flee.
Some people will act for him or against him.
Next week, we'll finish up with internal conflict scenes.
For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.
You've chosen the subgenre and developed ten scenes dedicated to the impact the evil has on the entire story world.
Antagonist Conflict scenes depend on what kind of antagonist you have chosen. There can be a person or an entity that embodies the horror they are confronting.
A dire threat like a virus is better if there is someone who wants the virus to run its course. I am reminded of a film that I saw called The Happening. Even though it was directed by one of my favorites, M. Night Shyamalan, the antagonist was a breeze that killed people and wasn’t really menacing enough. There were no clear stakes in the game either. The horror was caused by spores from trees carried on the wind. The deaths were random. Random isn’t as effective as intentional.
In these scenes, the evil and the protagonist face off with each other.
In these scenes, the protagonist comes into contact with the ghost and asks the ghost why it is haunting the house. The evil entity attempts to kill but misses the hero.
These scenes can also follow the evil entity.
The antagonist POV is rarely followed in this genre, but if your verbal camera is following the antagonist, this is the place to do it.
The object of horror’s motivation is rarely examined. You see the vampire creeping toward the sleeping girl because you know vampires suck blood. The sea monster slithers down a city street from the manhole and will eat people, because that is what monsters do. The serial killer kills because he must. We rarely follow the swamp monster as he goes about his swampy day. That’s not to say you can’t. If the antagonist is a person or represented by a person, you can follow them in these scenes and explore their agenda.
These scenes are a direct confrontation with the horror that has been unleashed. The verbal camera narrows its focus to the protagonist and the source of the horror facing off or the person or entity enacting their agenda.
Next time, we'll look at interpersonal conflict scenes.For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.<
External Conflict scenes follow the effects of the evil on the entire cast or story world.
The intent of these scenes is to scare the pants off of your readers. You have to confine them, torture them with something suspected but just out of sight. The menace has to be believable and constitute a mortal threat to one, some or all. Panic rises. Suspicion shifts.
In these scenes, the protagonist and/or victims are chased down a dark corridor, finds the journal with the ghost’s picture, or searches the library for who used to own the creepy house. They get locked in the cellar by the demon as the house goes up in flames.
In the final external scenes, the threat is removed, unless it is banished to return in the sequel.
List ten scene ideas for how the protagonists and the rest of the cast confront the evil, gain ground, lose, then win (or lose?).
For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.
No story makes your skin crawl more than the horror story. The horror story takes suspense to a higher, usually more explicit, level and generally contains more graphic material than the Thriller.
The overall story problem in this genre is a mortal threat to an individual or group. Therec can be a mystery at the heart of it, but it is separate from the mystery genre.
Antagonists include the abnormal and paranormal: ghosts, zombies, vampires, serial murderers, killer sharks, giant spiders, viruses, vampires, werewolves or clowns. The antagonist must be nearly impossible to beat and to fail means death.
The reader expects to be not only thrilled and anxious, but horrified and you need to start from page one. You can start slow and build on the horror, but true fans won’t appreciate a slow, horror-free build-up to a final, horrible truth.
The point of the Horror story is to make the readers squirm, scream, and confront their fears either individually or as a group. The fears can be everyday things such as fear of being alone, of the dead, of the unknown, or of the dark. The horror genre magnifies our fears so we can examine them safely.
There must a sense of being trapped in a room, a house, a town, or on a planet that you can’t escape and therefore must turn and face the threat. It’s scariest if the reader doesn’t know where the threat is hiding or where it will strike next. It’s that feeling of “there’s something in the dark, I can’t see it, how can I protect myself from it?” that preys on our elemental fear of being defenseless.
It can also be the “who will die next” plot.
The reader asks: What brought the danger near and how will they get away from it?
There are several subgenres of horror from suspenseful to gruesome.
Alien Horror takes Science Fiction to a darker place. The source of the horror is either on another planet or something brought to Earth from outer space.
Creepy Kids Horror features children who turn out to be evil, possessed by demons or Satan himself.
Erotic Horror features explicit content: sadomasochism, torture, the dark side of sexuality and the sex trade.
Extreme Horror contains explicit violence and is often a “who dies first plot” with no real rhyme or reason other than to kill the victims off in horrendous fashion.
Holocaust Horror contains mass deaths, either in the past or future. They can be due to human slaughter, a rogue virus, monsters, zombies, etc. They are often dystopian or post-apocalyptic settings.
Humorous Horror combines the horror structure with the comedy structure. It is scary, but also funny.
Mind Control Horror plays on our fear of not being in control – especially of our own minds. The mind can be taken over via sorcery or via technology. Victims are forced to act against their will and nature and are horrifying aware of it – unlike a mindless zombie.
Noir Horror uses a gritty, urban setting with cynical protagonists who must fight the horror facing himself or everyone.
Paranormal Horror features a mortal protagonist who must fight off immortal or supernatural threats. These include exorcist tales, possession, ghosts or demons.
Psychological Horror keeps the verbal camera in tight focus on the protagonist. He and the audience are kept in the dark. They aren’t certain what they are fighting until the end. This subgenre can also follow the evil or insane protagonist such as a serial killer, where the protagonist actually turns out to be the antagonist.
Rampant Technology Horror examines our fears that man has gone too far in their technology or achievements. It can feature monster toasters or robots that kill. It can be the ghost in the machine or the machine that steals your soul.
Satanic Bargain Horror features a protagonist who strikes a deal with the devil, like Dorian Gray. They end up paying a horrible price for their decision.
What are your favorite horror subgenres? Can you think of others?
You can learn more about the genre through Horror Writers Association at http://horror.org/
You can join their group on Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/Horrorwritersassoc/.
For the month of October, we will examine story building block layers as they pertain to the horror genre.
For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.
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By: Diana Hurwitz,
on 9/23/2016
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I give credit to an article in Parents magazine for inspiring this one. Are etiquette and chivalry truly dead? In your story world, you decide.
Tweet: Mores and manners change with the times, but everyone has a set of rules. #writingtips
From knights in clanging armor, to Victorian parlors, to the craziness of Hollywood, every story world has a set of rules for how people are supposed to behave and whether or not your characters choose to.
How comfortable Dick is in terms of asking for something depends on his personality type and whether he likes the person he is asking. The polite way to ask is, "Please may I ...". If Dick says, "Please taking a running leap off a short pier," the game is on.
How comfortable Dick is in terms of receiving things also depends on his personality type and whether or not he wants the item received.
Thank you's when used appropriately, are the oil that makes life run a little smoother. An insincere thank you can mask anger when Dick would really like to let those rude words fly and can't. "Why thank you! However did you come up with such a creative solution to our current predicament ...Sweetie." If he says, "Thank you for not breathing," the game is on.
When a character interrupts a conversation, even to tell Dick that Timmy is in the well, he is being rude.
How often do your characters interrupt each other? Is it well meant, deliberately intrusive or because the situation requires it? Is it timed to deflect an important or revealing conversation?
Cell phones are rampant. Forcing the people around him to listen to Dick's conversation is rude. Listening in on other people's conversations is considered rude. This can also have unforeseen consequences. People aren't careful when they talk on their phones in public. They aren't careful when dining with their friends in restaurants. Clues can be dropped, sensitive information revealed and a person's true colors exposed.
"It's better to ask permission than forgiveness" is a current favorite. But is it? Sometimes Dick should ask permission, like before he raids someone else's refrigerator. He'll pass on asking permission if he is raiding their safe. Taking something innocent without permission may seem harmless, but may push the wrong button. How does Dick feel about having something taken without permission? Is he amused or furious?
Jane should keep negative opinions to herself. Or between her and her friends and out of earshot of other people. In which case, they can discuss freely and at length over their favorite beverage. Refer to the previous "there's no privacy while dining" scenario. This is especially true when commenting on other people's physical characteristics, clothing, possessions and children. It isn't considered acceptable to offer an insult as a compliment: "My, those tattoos are so colorful." Or "It must have taken hours to do that to your hair." Southern women are queens of the insult/compliment smashup. "Well, bless her heart, isn't she precious? It must have taken a month of Sundays to come up with that outfit."
Jane should take a hostess gift to someone's house when invited for dinner and thank them for having her over and for the good time she had. If Jane is lying through her teeth, you have conflict. If she takes them a present intended to insult, the game is on. Is she thanks them for the most riveting evening she's ever had, the insult might fly right over her host's head.
Sally was taught to knock before entering. This could avert a potential disaster if her husband is in bed with someone else. If she is doing something she doesn't want anyone to know about, locking the door would be a great idea. If Sally never locks a door and suddenly decides to lock the door, there is conflict. Locking the bathroom door could mean the child/person knocking better be bleeding, the house on fire or someone dying. If not, the game is on.
When making a phone call, Dick should introduce himself and ask for whoever he wishes to speak to. With the advent of caller ID this is going out of fashion. The conflict occurs when Dick doesn't bother to ascertain who he is talking to before he speaks. It also occurs when Dick answers someone else's phone, particularly if he pretends to be that person. Wrong numbers and misunderstandings are rife in these situations.
What are your story world rules about profanity? It is considered bad manners to use foul language in public, particularly if sensitive little ears are around to hear them. There are still factions of society insulted by words that other factions of society use as versatile adjective/noun/verbs. Profanity is generally considered crass in business and social functions. If Dick does so, how much trouble will he be in? Is Jane offended by profanity or does she swear like a sailor?
Dick should never call other people names or make fun of them. Until they are out of earshot and can't hear him or retaliate. Unless he intentionally wants to start a fight. Even good natured teasing can be taken the wrong way.
Jane should sit through a play, assembly, lecture or business meeting quietly and pretend she is interested even if she is bored silly. What happens if she doesn't? We've all been in boring business meetings, school music programs or dance programs that - other than our little darling's five seconds of fame - bore us to tears. You may be at a lecture or a workshop. This is where the cell phone issue comes in. The light from the screen is distracting. Jane may be bored, but the parent/participant sitting next to her might not. What happens if Jane is forced to sit there? What happens if she breaks free? What happens if she breaks out her Blackberry?
Sally should cover her mouth when she coughs or sneezes. These days it's an act of terror to spread germs in a public place or airplane.
If he sees someone struggling, Dick should offer to help. This is lovely if an elderly person is struggling with their groceries, a mom with a stroller, or someone drops something and doesn't notice. These situations can be hilarious or deadly. What could a little act of kindness lead to? What could Dick gain by pretending to be helpful? There's the old joke about the boy scout who helped the old lady across the street only to find she was headed the opposite direction. Good intentions rarely go unpunished.
When someone asks a favor, Jane should do it without grumbling, unless the favor is inappropriate. Favors can be dangerous. If Jane asks a favor, she should preface it with, "Would you mind." If she follows that up with "Would you mind sodding off?" the game is on.
For more on crafting conflict to create tension, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict available in paperback and E-book.
By: Diana Hurwitz,
on 9/2/2016
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Tweet: There was a time and place when a man was only as good as his word and integrity was paramount. #writingtips
A clansman's oath was to the death. Tribesmen the world over made verbal contracts often involving an exchange of blood.
If you lived in merry old Europe during most of the regent-named eras, a reputation was considered more important than currency. A man might be poor, but he could still have his good name. Lots of citizens indulged in lascivious shenanigans, though most turned a blind eye while they did so. As long as the shenanigans took place in private and the “public” remained ignorant, all was well and good. Shift the curtains and allow a passerby to see inside the facade and the person in question was ruined.
Are honesty and integrity important in your story world? Is it more valuable than currency?
Is it important for Dick to have a “good name?” What will Dick have to do to maintain or regain his reputation? Many a tale hinges on someone trying to repair a damaged reputation. Dick’s integrity might be one of his hot buttons. Others will challenge it at their own risk.
Dick might be proud of his reputation as a womanizer and guy’s guy. Jane might look down her patrician nose at him for being so superficial. In many a love story, she finds out her initial prejudice was unfounded.
Jane might have a reputation as a loose woman with a sharp tongue. When forced to work with Jane, Dick might realize Jane has been unfairly demonized. She is really quite lovely.
How important are honesty and integrity to the characters that move about your story world?
Not all of them will value the same things. To some, virtues will be of the highest importance. To others, vices might be of higher importance.
Is it better to give than receive? Depends on who is giving and who is receiving, doesn’t it? If Dick is giving money to a charity, it’s a good thing. If Jane is giving crucial intelligence to Iran, not such a good thing. Both might have a reputation as a “giving” sort of person.
What if Dick has earned a reputation he does not deserve? What if he is held aloft and admired by millions for something he didn’t really do, or for doing something that appeared benign when it was secretly malignant?
It might be Jane’s story goal to strip him of his “good name.”
A business’s reputation is worth its weight in stocks. A single incident can trash a business’s reputation. The business may never recover. The stakes are high when a company is fighting to keep, change, or restore its reputation. Those at the top of the corporate pyramid may turn lethal if their reputation is challenged. If Dick orchestrates a coup with the sole purpose of destroying a corporation, the game is on.
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To learn more about the mannequins and how personality types create conflict for your characters, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict, available in paperback and E-book, and Story Building Blocks: Build A Cast Workbook available in paperback and E-book.
Physical obstacles prevent movement, communication, access to a person, the retrieval of an object, and necessary exchanges.
Physical distance prevents access which increases tension.
Time limits put the tension level at full throttle.
These are the types of action scenes that leave your readers biting their nails. The harder the task, the greater the anxiety level for the reader.
1. A physical barrier, like having to break into a safe or out of a cell.
This is a key tool in every genre from thriller t0 romance. Yes, romance. In the Outlander series, there are numerous times when Jamie and Claire must rescue one another from captors. And what is a heist movie without obstacles to the theft?
2. A situational barrier, such as trying to enter an area that is off limits.
Whether you character succeeds through sweet talk or stealth, waiting for them to get past this barrier can be funny, thrilling, or heartbreaking.
3. Physical restraints, like being stuck inside a car, plane, or train.
Or trying to break free from handcuffs or a straight jacket. Your character does not have to be a magician to use this tool. They can be tied up or boxed in. Everyone can relate to the need to escape.
4. Missing the target whether it is a boat, train, airplane, or opportunity.
This is another situation your audience can relate to. The nearer the miss, the higher the tension. Will they get another chance or have to find another way?
5. Limited mobility due to a temporary or permanent physical disability.
Self-healing thriller characters aside, when your character is shot, stabbed, or otherwise hobbled, they will have difficulty doing what comes next.
6. Misunderstanding the time frame involved or being given an impossible timeline.
The ticking clock is arguably the most intense tool in the tension toolkit. There must be an "or else" for it to work properly. Nothing is worse than setting a ticking time bomb that doesn't go off.
7. Physical distances that make accomplishing the task difficult or impossible.
Whether you character has to traverse a hall, a flight of stairs, an eighty-story building, or rush from country to country, your readers feed on the the adrenaline rush your character experiences as he tries to accomplish the impossible.
8. Being misled about the correct destination.
Friend or foe, antagonist or love interest, missing the bus gives your readers a feeling of let down. They can relate to that moment when you realize you've taken the wrong turn, the wrong plane, or walked into the wrong bar.
9. Not being able to touch.
Truly, nothing is more agonizing than watching characters who desperately want to touch each other being kept apart. It can be lovers who are forbidden to love, or a mother reaching for a child who is slipping through her hands, literally or figurative. It can be the grieving loved one trying to reach the dead or dying. This tool can gut your reader or fill them with longing.
10. Different places or times.
This tool works best in the science fiction and fantasy realms where characters are literally worlds or time periods apart. From Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series to the movie Somewhere in Time, nothing keeps people apart more effectively than being in different eras. Your characters can be placed in different planets, starships, or fairy realms. Your readers will hang on to find out how they resolve these great distances.For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.
Disunity obstacles motivate characters to offer resistance to, or agree to assist with, another character’s scene goal or overall story goal.
Motivating your primary characters is essential to a well-developed plot. Motivating your secondary characters, the friends and foes, adds depth.
1. Competition. Wishing to one-up, surpass, or defeat someone can be mild or taken to laughable, even deadly, lengths. The competition between characters can be out in the open. They know they are competing for the woman, the antiquity, the position, or the country. It can be an undercurrent that flows between two characters who aren't even aware this is their motivation.
2. Jealousy and resentment. How long has that pot been boiling? What causes it to overflow?3. Gossip, rumors, and backbiting. I am struck by how often characters exist in a bubble. They are part of the wider world. What they do and say will be observed, discussed, and perhaps acted upon.
4. Blackmail. Secrets are the lifeblood of good suspense. They do not have to be conspiracies or fatal. They only require that the character feels shame about something they don't want other people to know. Giving another character the power to expose them adds tension.
5. Differing goals and needs. This conflict can be mild or ruin a relationship, a heist team, or derail a war.
6. Dislike, hatred, or anger. Few character types are overt in their expression of these emotions. A subtle level can lead a friend or foe to fail to cooperate, break a promise, or cause them to undermine every goal your character has.
7. Love for something or someone. Love unites. However, love can prevent a character from taking an action that will hurt someone they care about. The threat can be deadly, but they will not risk it. Love can also motivate someone to go beyond normal limits and take uncharacteristic risks. It can provide the push to keep them moving toward their goal or add the resistance to doing what needs to be done.
8. Friendship and loyalty. Few characters are completely friendless or free of bonds of loyalty. Who are your characters beholden to? Who will they betray? What is the price of that betrayal? Who will they catch a grenade for?
9. Opposing methods of negotiating the world. Some are mavericks. Some are conservatives. Some are willing to do whatever they want regardless of the cost. For others, the cost is too dear. Putting opposites together heightens the tension. Every decision and action will create conflict.
10. Shallowness versus depth of connections. How easy is it for your character to walk away? What is the cost? Deepening their connections heightens the stakes.
Motivation drives each character in your story. They may know what motivates them. They may be completely unaware. The other characters may be aware or completely unaware of why characters behave as they do.
Tweet this: Motivation transforms your cardboard characters into flesh and bone.
For more about how to craft characters, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict, available in paperback and E-book and Story Building Blocks: Build A Cast Workbook, available in paperback and E-book.
Disunity obstacles motivate characters to offer resistance to, or agree to assist with, another character’s scene goal or overall story goal.
Motivating your primary characters is essential to a well-developed plot. Motivating your secondary characters, the friends and foes, adds depth.
1. Competition. Wishing to one-up, surpass, or defeat someone can be mild or taken to laughable, even deadly, lengths. The competition between characters can be out in the open. They know they are competing for the woman, the antiquity, the position, or the country. It can be an undercurrent that flows between two characters who aren't even aware this is their motivation.
2. Jealousy and resentment. How long has that pot been boiling? What causes it to overflow?
3. Gossip, rumors, and backbiting. I am struck by how often characters exist in a bubble. They are part of the wider world. What they do and say will be observed, discussed, and perhaps acted upon.
4. Blackmail. Secrets are the lifeblood of good suspense. They do not have to be conspiracies or fatal. They only require that the character feels shame about something they don't want other people to know. Giving another character the power to expose them adds tension.
5. Differing goals and needs. This conflict can be mild or ruin a relationship, a heist team, or derail a war.
6. Dislike, hatred, or anger. Few character types are overt in their expression of these emotions. A subtle level can lead a friend or foe to fail to cooperate, break a promise, or cause them to undermine every goal your character has.
7. Love for something or someone. Love unites. However, love can prevent a character from taking an action that will hurt someone they care about. The threat can be deadly, but they will not risk it. Love can also motivate someone to go beyond normal limits and take uncharacteristic risks. It can provide the push to keep them moving toward their goal or add the resistance to doing what needs to be done.
8. Friendship and loyalty. Few characters are completely friendless or free of bonds of loyalty. Who are your characters beholden to? Who will they betray? What is the price of that betrayal? Who will they catch a grenade for?
9. Opposing methods of negotiating the world. Some are mavericks. Some are conservatives. Some are willing to do whatever they want regardless of the cost. For others, the cost is too dear. Putting opposites together heightens the tension. Every decision and action will create conflict.
10. Shallowness versus depth of connections. How easy is it for your character to walk away? What is the cost? Deepening their connections heightens the stakes.
Motivation drives each character in your story. They may know what motivates them. They may be completely unaware. The other characters may be aware or completely unaware of why characters behave as they do.
Tweet this: Motivation transforms your cardboard characters into flesh and bone.
For more about how to craft characters, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict, available in paperback and E-book and Story Building Blocks: Build A Cast Workbook, available in paperback and E-book.
By: Diana Hurwitz,
on 3/18/2016
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| Scene Writing Tips |
Tweet this: Whatever genre you write, improving your powers of observation enables you to place yourself in the scene and write it from your character’s point of view.
Over the next few weeks, we will explore ways to hone your powers of observation.
Exercise 1: Sweet talk or bribe a friend or relative into letting you go through their car. Don't tear anything apart! (You can go through your own car, but it's harder to be objective.) Take notes. Take pictures if you like.
1) What do you see and smell?
2) What do you find under the seats, in the cushions, in the glove compartment, the little nooks and crannies?
3) What do the contents and state of the car tell you about the person who owns it?
4) What does the condition of the exterior tell you about the car's history?
5) What do the seat settings tell you about the driver?
6) What kind of passengers ride in it?
7) What does it tell you about the owner’s demographic or lifestyle?
8) What kind of license plate does it have?
9) Does it have city stickers or parking passes?
10) Does it have bumper stickers? What do they say about the owner? A lack of personal statements make a difference too!
Stretch your observation muscles wherever you go. You’ll be amazed at what you begin to notice.
Your stories and characters will be the richer for it.
Tune in next week for another lesson in detection. For more information on scene writing visit http://www.dianahurwitz.com for free downloads and pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of Conflict available in e-book and print.
By: Diana Hurwitz,
on 3/10/2016
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| WHO'S THE BOSS? |
I have to thank a friend for inspiring this one, though I’ll withhold names to protect the innocent. My friend, let’s call her Jane, works in an office where the boss’s wife comes in periodically to make sure things are done her way. She isn’t actually an employee, nor is she an expert in the business he conducts. She just likes to meddle and throw her weight around to feel powerful.
Tweet: Family run businesses can be an entirely different breed of viper’s nest. #storybuildingblocks #writingtips
Unlike the cogs in the corporate hierarchy that are easily removed and replaced, the family run business is full of emotional landmines.
If Dick’s father is the nominal head of the business, theoretically he should be in charge. But what if he isn’t?
What if Dick’s Mom wears the corporate pantsuit even though she doesn’t actually work there? It will cause aggravation if not outright abuse for all who work for them. It is a very uncomfortable work environment. The rules can be disregarded at whim and the hierarchy ignored when the untitled boss gets involved. The changes she makes are implemented without warning or consideration for those who actually have to show up and do the job every day. They are enforced even though they create headaches for those who have to perform the tasks.
Jane will go to the office every day primed with anxiety. When will the saboteur show up next and what impossible demands will she make? Because the reward system is illogically skewed, Jane won’t be certain that her hard work and dedication will be appreciated, so how hard should she try? Should she stay or go? Depends on her situation and how good the pay and benefits are. How much is Jane willing to sacrifice for material reward when every day feels like a swim in a shark tank? How much abuse is she willing to endure before she quits or pulls out a revolver?
How does the uncertainty affect the son Dick? How frustrated will he grow with his spineless father when he witnesses his mother’s torture of the employees? How firm can he get with his impossible mother? Will Dick grow and learn to stand up for himself against the female bully or will he repeat the enabling pattern?
What if Dick’s sister Sally also works at the firm? They have grown up being pitted against one another. Who is the favorite child for which parent? The dynamics shift depending on the answer. If Dick is Dad’s favorite and Sally is Mom’s favorite, then Dick has a real problem. His succession as head of the business isn’t assured. Mom may choose Sally to take over. If Sally is Dad’s favorite and Dick is Mom’s favorite, then Sally has a problem. She can have Dad wrapped tightly around her little finger, but if Mom wields the power and isn’t too fond of her simpering daughter, Sally is in a no-win situation. If the parents continually play out their antagonism toward one another through their son and daughter the waters get hurricane choppy. If Mom dies, then Dad is free from her oppression and the work environment can become an entirely different place. If Dad dies, and Mom takes over or the business is turned over to Sally instead of Dick, the situation can disintegrate further. If the siblings enter a turf war over it, the conflict heats to a boil.
How many employees will abandon ship? How many will stay? How can the company survive if the internal structure is unstable?
The addition of sibling and parent dynamics to any story situation raises the stakes and changes the playing field significantly.
The conflict could be a mild distraction while Dick is trying to save the planet or find the kidnapped girl.
The conflict could be the core of a literary tale of deadly dysfunction.
The conflict could be the source of an intense thriller or suspense.
The parent/child scenario could be a factor in a YA novel. The parents could be running a gas station, a major corporation, a village, a country, or a wolf pack.
In your story, who is the boss? Who are the powers that be? Who makes the ultimate decisions? The more dysfunctional the situation, the higher the story stakes.
For more on crafting conflict to create tension, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict available in paperback and E-book.
Tweet: In your story, it is highly suggested that your main character undergo some form of change by the end. #storybuildingblocks #writingtips
The change can be life-altering or subtle. It can be a change for the better or worse.
It is open for debate if antagonists or secondary characters undergo change of their own.
If one person shifts, it creates ripples in the people around them.
Dick is going along, minding his own business, when - Wham - life throws him a curve ball (i.e. the inciting incident) and his life will never be the same.
Along the way, as he battles obstacles to achieve the overall story goal, he undergoes some form of change: from arrogant to humble, naive to wise, weak to strong, cowardly to brave, misunderstood to understood, adolescent to adult.
These changes result in an up ending if they are positive.
If Dick changes for the worse, you have a down ending.
What makes Dick willing to change?
Depends on the story stakes, the types of obstacles he will face, and the genre you are writing in. The change may be subtle in a Literary tale and overt in a Fantasy tale.
Some endings are a little bit of both.
Dick can be compelled by an authority figure or social group to change, but he himself was not really motivated to change. For instance, he may be court ordered to do community service that opens his eyes to the plight of the underprivileged. He might be ordered by a commanding officer or boss to do something that transgresses his value system and he fights against the order, but eventually gives in because he isn’t willing to endure the price of the alternative. This results in an up-down ending.
Dick might change to escape criticism or banishment from people he cares about, a group he belongs to, or a corporation he has built. At his core, he may never agree to what is being asked of him, but he does it because he must to maintain the status quo or obtain the story goal, which also delivers an up-down ending. If he is being forced to do something healthy, this is an up ending. If he accepts things that are unhealthy, it is a down ending.
Jane may enter the story knowing that she needs to make a change: she needs to leave her unsatisfying job, leave her empty marriage, or stop selling narcotics because she has seen the needle and the damage done. The overall story problem makes the situation worse so that Jane has no choice but to change. This results in an up ending. If Jane knows that she has to make a change that is detrimental to her psyche, it results in a down ending.
Sally may change because she can no longer tolerate the situation she is in, the feelings she is carrying around, or the pain of the status quo. She must change because she simply cannot bear the alternative any more. She was near the breaking point and the inciting incident makes the choice unavoidable. This usually results in an up ending, unless the change she was contemplating was a bad one.
Just as the overall story arc has its ups and downs, so do scenes. A scene can have an up or down ending.
These undulations make the story ride enjoyable. They keep the reader wanting to know how it will all end. Characters that are static throughout a story are boring and hard to root for.
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| SBB Revision Tips |
For more tips on how to craft believable characters, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict available in paperback and E-book, and Story Building Blocks: Build A Cast Workbook, also available in paperback and E-book.
By: Diana Hurwitz,
on 2/27/2016
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| Casting Characters |
This week, we complete our exploration of the character mannequins presented in Story Building Blocks II and Build A Cast Workbook. Remember, each mannequin has a male, female, transgender, or androgynous counterpart.13. Cam
Cam wants to be admired for his intelligence and competence. His partner usually admires that about him, until he forgets he has a partner. Anyone who tried to control or demean him would be shown the door immediately. Cam isn’t looking for a permanent relationship, but honors his commitment once he is in one.
Cam is more focused on his inner world than the external one. He comes across as aloof. He is emotionally intense but guarded. His partner is shocked by how deeply he experiences emotion. His quiet confidence and reliability are appealing. He possesses keen insight into what makes people tick. He applies that information to his relationships. He thinks more than acts. He has a hard time reconciling the way things should be with the way they are. His distraction sometimes limits his awareness of his partner’s feelings, particularly if she doesn’t express them. He becomes overly structured or paralyzed when anxious. He may get so involved in his projects that he forgets his partner for a while. He avoids interpersonal conflict but loves to debate.
Cam does not need companionship enough to put up with abusive or unsatisfying relationships. He finds it easy to cut his losses and move on, having learned a valuable lesson.
He may not express his distress. He represses negative emotions until they reach a breaking point. He enjoys thinking about intimacy and ways to make it better. He is creative and intense. In a negative relationship, he thinks about sex more often than having it. He tends to show how he feels rather than talk about it. He offers loving affirmations and gifts if his partner desires them.
14. Morgan
Morgan wants to be admired for his intelligence and competence. That usually happens, at least until his behavior makes those traits questionable. He considers a relationship a low priority. He prefers variety to permanence. Only external compression forces him into a long-term commitment. His relationships are tenuous.
Morgan is easily bored. He needs a partner that constantly engages and challenges him. He might experiment with BDSM as long as he finds it fun. He treats his relationship like any other experiment by asking what works and what could be improved. His partner might not appreciate being “managed” in that way. He eagerly adopts new activities and plans, but drops them as quickly. He means well, but his love of debate grows tiring. He carelessly throws out comments about what he might do. His partner might take him seriously. His risk-taking could create trouble for both of them. While invested, he is attentive, eager to explore, and enthusiastic. He neglects the relationship when a project takes over, whether it is an assignment at work or his decision to renovate the house. He isn’t in touch with his feelings and may be oblivious to his partner’s. If his partner states a need, he creatively attempts to fill it. He is prone to forgetting.
Morgan walks away if bored or restricted. His partner grows tired of his need to play devil’s advocate instead of just focusing on what needs to be done. He is spontaneous and resists routine. He is open to trying new things. Sex is a physical release not an emotional bonding experience. He offers a grand gesture, but can’t keep it up long term.
15. Lee
Lee wants recognition for her competence. She usually earns it. Things are fine until she steamrolls once too often.
Lee considers a relationship a low priority. She takes a commitment seriously once she has made it but often loses touch with her partner. Lee is dominating by nature. She would never consider being submissive.
Lee is emotionally aloof. She takes the lead and feels responsible for making things work. She has a lot to offer. She is dedicated, dependable, and hardworking. She holds herself accountable. She is creative and pushes her partner to explore his own dreams. If she decides something isn’t working, she unilaterally changes the terms of the relationship. It puzzles and alarms her partner. She is steady financially and values a nice home and creature comforts. She may never be home long enough to enjoy them. If her partner tells her flat out that she isn’t meeting expectations, she may try. Operating against her nature would not be easy. If there is conflict, she views it as a chance to learn and improve. She is confrontational by nature. If paired with a partner that avoids conflict and sees criticism as a personal assault, the relationship won’t survive. She may learn to temper her approach with her partner in the interest of making it work. She finds it hard to share power. A relationship would have to be based on mutual respect. She has to view her partner as competent. She expects him to be independent and to develop his own interests.
If she finds a relationship unsatisfying or her partner boring, she ends it and abruptly moves on literally or emotionally. She could become an abusive bully to a weaker partner. She doesn’t admire weak people enough to partner with them long term. She is creative and adventurous. She expects sex on a regular basis. She is self-confident. She has little patience with someone who is emotionally needy. She shows her love through her actions. Loving affirmations don’t mean anything to her. She isn’t interested in giving or receiving compliments or flattery. If partnered with a feeling type, it won’t go well.
16. River
River wants to be admired for her wisdom and desire for harmony. She usually is admired, unless her desire to be worshipped becomes obsessive. She would find BDSM sordid and ugly. She seeks a permanent and perfect communion of souls. Her intensity drives some types away. She goes from relationship to relationship in search of the ideal. She is vaguely dissatisfied with every partner.
River feels intensely. She needs constant feedback and affirmation. She wants a perfect relationship and her excessive probing to find out what is wrong is wearying. She works hard to keep the relationship alive. She bonds permanently and deeply. She is good with loving affirmations. She is generous. She is drawn to deep and complex partners. She comes up with creative solutions to conflict and is highly aware of her partner’s emotional state. She is protective and withdraws when she meets resistance. Her overly emotional approach irritates a thinking partner.
She becomes highly critical of her partner if he acts out or can’t be trusted. She blames him when things aren’t working. She represses her emotions and becomes vicious when she bursts. She stays in a relationship until she is sure it can’t be repaired. She moves on easily when it is truly over.
River views sex as a spiritual communion. She is in search of a soul mate. She selflessly gives to her partner. She is tactile and sensual. She struggles to state her case in person and may resort to an emotional letter.
I hope you’ve enjoyed our exploration of the mannequins as lovers.
For more about how to craft characters, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict, available in paperback and E-book and Story Building Blocks: Build A Cast Workbook, available in paperback and E-book.
By: Diana Hurwitz,
on 2/18/2016
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| Casting Characters |
If you missed them, last week and the week before, we began exploring the "love" styles of the sixteen temperaments.
This week, we continue our exploration of the character mannequins presented in Story Building Blocks II and Build A Cast Workbook. Remember, each mannequin has a male, female,transgender, or androgynous counterpart.
9. Joss
Joss wants recognition for his intelligence and skill. He usually gets it, in the short-term. His derring-do draws them in, but eventually drives them off. He might enjoy experimentation. He places a permanent relationship at the bottom of his list. He struggles with routine and commitment. He thrives on new experiences and new partners.
Joss is exciting and intense for short bursts. He is the ultimate hard-to-get partner. He is the man or woman of action and few words. He resists routine and strict schedules. He hates being controlled by other people, particularly his partner. He spends a lot of time exploring his interests without his partner.
He is happy to provide basic needs and the kind of dating behavior that keeps a relationship humming along. He isn’t free with his opinion, but open to someone else’s. He is in information gathering mode and may evade answering questions by asking more questions. This frustrates his partner when she needs a direct answer. He doesn’t feel he owes anyone an explanation and never asks for permission.
He is protective of his emotions and avoids deeper feelings. His level of intensity can vary from day to day and that can leave his partner feeling unbalanced. He has problems with the traditional expectations of behavior.
All is fine until Joss becomes bored or the other person becomes too demanding or clingy. He moves on and won’t stay to fix it. He remains in a life-long relationship by taking it one day at a time. His partner is never entirely certain he’ll stay. His air of aloofness may draw his partner in, but could drive her away.
Joss views sex as recreation. He is sensual and enjoys experimentation. He is spontaneous, creative, and enthusiastic for as long as it lasts. He sets the mood and makes it fun. He loses interest if it becomes routine. He breaks up and makes up for the novelty it provides.
10. Kelly
Kelly wants to be admired for being the life of the party. He usually is — at first. He might participate in anything once. He isn’t looking for a permanent relationship. He has trouble honoring a commitment once he makes it. His relationship is on the bottom of his priority pile.
Kelly is enthusiastic. Life with him would be quite a ride, full of ups and downs, and lots of spinning. He is extremely charming and superficial. He offers his partner the world and she attributes him with a big heart. He loves life. He makes those in his orbit love life too. The problems start when his partner realizes he can’t make a plan and stick with it.
Kelly has a problem with commitment and behaves in ways that are detrimental to the relationship. He is shocked when his partner objects. As soon as he is restricted or bored, he finds someone else to play with. Kelly considers sex as a physical carnival ride. He makes things exciting. He is a sensual lover. He goes for the big moments, once in a while. He is oblivious to the emotional content. If his partner needs emotional closeness to feel loved, she probably won’t get it. She may tell him and he may try, but he can’t sustain it. He isn’t good with positive affirmations. He won’t grasp the neediness of a feeling partner. He is master of the grand gesture, but grand gestures aren’t always enough.
11. Greer
Greer wants recognition for his competence. Since he is usually competent, he receives it. When he forgets to take care of things around the house, his competence might be questioned. He isn’t looking for a permanent love connection. He honors a commitment once made, but may not remain emotionally present.
Greer takes his relationship seriously and analyzes it much like he analyzes everything. He is low-demand and easy to get along with. His problems stem from the lack of emotional engagement and low need for social interaction. He would not be natively drawn to BDSM. He isn’t big on traditional trappings. He can’t relate to high-needs people. He is straightforward and honest. He won’t play games or manipulate his partner. It is hard for him to open his heart and he retracts at the first sign of danger. He feels passionately, he just can’t verbalize it. Of all the types, he is the hardest to have a relationship with. It’s a good thing he is a rare bird.
He usually runs at the first sign of messy complications. He avoids conflict and deals with it in an analytical way, ignoring the emotional component. He defends his commitment by saying, “Of course I love you. I’m here aren’t I?” If his partner reads him as distant and disengaged, she might move on.
Greer is imaginative and loving, but not overly demanding. He is quick to sublimate his needs or loses track of them when focused at work or on his hobbies. His intense passion may not be apparent to his partner. He isn’t in tune with his partner’s emotional life. He misses the hints and emotional cues she exhibits. His displays of affection may be out of sync with his partner’s desire for them. He isn’t good with the positive affirmations and praise some types need.
12. Taylor
Taylor wants to be appreciated for her goodness and service. She usually is, unless her efforts become toxic. She might go along with BDSM for a while. Taylor consider a permanent relationship a high priority. She is warm and committed. She wants her partner to be happy, so she sacrifices her wants and needs to make sure he is. She blames herself when things go wrong and criticism chips away at her self-esteem. If the relationship fails, she walks away thinking she was defective. She bounces back and tries again. She works hard to keep a relationship together. She is sensitive to her partner's emotional needs. She is very social and works to make her home a great place to entertain.
Taylor won’t walk away unless a serious core violation occurs. She could walk away over it, but tends to stick with unhealthy relationships where she does all the giving. She hates conflict and ignores her partner’s slings and arrows to avoid it. She gives in rather than extend the fight. Ignoring problems turns them in to bigger problems that eventually become explosive.
Taylor is enthusiastic and creative. She is warm and fun. She sees sex as a direct expression of her love. She works hard to make her partner happy and doing so makes her happy. She pencils it in as often as she needs to. She won’t express her own needs. She needs loving affirmations, but won’t ask for them. She is hurt when the sweet words aren’t forthcoming.
Next week, we will meet the final four.
For more about how to craft characters, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict, available in paperback and E-book and Story Building Blocks: Build A Cast Workbook, available in paperback and E-book.
By: Diana Hurwitz,
on 2/12/2016
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| Casting Characters |
Last week, we began our exploration of the character mannequins presented in Story Building Blocks II and Build A Cast Workbook. Remember, each mannequin has a male/female/adrogynous counterpart. This week, we explore four more.
5. Blair
Blair’s currency is affection and admiration. If she isn’t praised for being wonderful, she deflates. She would be deeply wounded if anyone demeaned her. At the first sign of disapproval in any form, she’s gone in a flash of lightening. Blair places her relationship on top of the list. She wants a long-term commitment. She struggles to choose, but sticks with her choice forever if possible.
Blair loves deeply but is slow to warm up. Her partner may not understand just how much she cares. Few people know her extremely well. She is secretly intense while appearing outwardly light-hearted. She is vulnerable and easily hurt, though she won’t tell her partner. She expects him to “see” he has hurt her. She is disappointed when he doesn’t. When hurt, she withdraws. She hates conflict and goes to great lengths to avoid it. She is an easy going partner. She doesn’t ask for, or expect, a lot. She is traditional and organized and takes care of what needs to be done. She wants to be adored for it.
Blair feels attacked when an argument gets heated. She releases all the negative impressions and feelings she has repressed. She isn’t likely to leave, even if her partner is dissatisfied. She stays and works it out if at all possible. If she found herself with a partner who revealed his secret life, she’d try to deal with it, but eventually the negativity would chase her off.
Blair is serious about sex. It is a sacred act that should be given the time and attention it deserves. She is sensual and enjoys the physical expression of love. She shows her love through this communion. She needs positive affirmations to feel good about herself but doesn’t offer them. The SMBD subculture is the opposite of her core need.
6. Dallas
Dallas wants to be adored for being Dallas. She wants her partner to appreciate her sense of fun and adventure. Everything is fun until the party is over. She likes exploring all the options. Once she commits, she intends to stay. She might not if the situation grows tense. She always wonders if there are better bachelors behind other doors. Dallas might take up SMBD as a sport as long as it doesn’t get too heavy or intense. The minute things turn dark, she’s off to chase the sunshine.
Dallas is passionate and fun-loving. She cares about her partner’s happiness. She is flexible and open to suggestion. She takes her partner’s emotional temperature frequently, which irks some mannequins. The problems set in when she encounters conflict and confrontation. She takes criticism, even objective statements, as a personal attack. Her partner would have to be very, very careful of what he said. Conflict stresses her. She represses her initial response for the sake of smoothing things over, but continues to fester. She gives in to avoid a protracted disagreement. She ignores a problem until she can’t. This just delays the inevitable.
Dallas is loyal and views it as her responsibility to fix things that aren’t working. She isn’t one to give up easily. If things get too intense, restrictive, or boring, she moves on. She finds it hard to do so and blames herself for the failure.
Dallas is playful and creative. She has a rich fantasy world which she applies to sex. She sees sex as a natural expression of her love. She needs positive affirmations. She may fish for reassurance and compliments. If she doesn’t get them, she lavishes them on her partner in the hopes of sparking them.
7. Hadley
Hadley wants to be adored for breathing. Since she is adorable, her partner usually complies. If the adoration fades, trouble sets in. She would be deeply offended if anyone criticized her, much less spanked her. The relationship would die off instantly.
Hadley isn’t overly interested in being tied down (or tied up). She places a relationship on the back burner. She struggles with long-term commitment and likes to explore all the bachelors. Hadley loves to be in love and struggles when the initial adrenaline rush tapers. She may overcome her desire to flit and settle down, as long as the relationship isn’t too restrictive or her partner too critical.
Hadley loves to date and encourages her partner to enjoy life as much as she does. She is weak at planning and follow-through. She takes every day as it comes and wants to grab the gusto. If that means changing plans, she changes plans. She doesn’t ask for much. She wants to be happy and wants her partner to be happy. She schedules a busy social life. She changes things to keep them from becoming dull, whether it’s rearranging the furniture or their lives. She hates to miss out on anything she considers fun. She doesn’t like vague promises or “we’ll see” as an answer. If you stated it, you promised. She is bored by analyzing the past and worrying about the future. Tomorrow will take care of itself. She ends a necessary conversation. She would not deal well with someone who likes to debate for fun.
Hadley isn’t good with conflict and lashes out angrily in the moment with words she can’t take back. She retreats when criticized or restricted. A controlling partner sends Hadley off to find someone more fun to play with.
Hadley energetically embraces romantic love. She seeks out and enjoys intimate contact. She is tactile and sensual. She is generous, warm, and highly motivated to make her partner happy. She is lavish with loving affirmations. She isn’t big on gifts, but can provide them when requested. She might go along with her partner's suggestions as long as they remain playful. The moment the tone shifts, she’s gone.
8. Shelby
Shelby wants to be honored and respected. As long as her partner makes her feel respected, things are fine.
She is loyal and committed. If she isn’t in a permanent relationship, she continually searches for one. Once committed, she places her relationship at the top of her list. On a subconscious level, she feels vaguely dissatisfied with all of her relationships because they are never truly “ideal.”
Shelby seeks a harmonious, loving relationship and works hard to make it a success. She may need reminders to do the bill-paying and housekeeping. She often pushes routine tasks to the bottom of the priority pile. That annoys a partner who expects her to be on top of things. Once committed, she may romanticize a bad relationship in her own mind as a form of protection.
She may attribute virtues to her partner that he lacks and place him on a pedestal. She struggles to reconcile the idealistic romance novel relationship with the demands of a real one. She overlooks imperfections for the sake of connection. She avoids conflict and confrontation. So if her partner decided he wanted to play a few games, she’d be offended.
If she ends up with a partner that is all action, no talk, she grows resentful. She values personal space and the freedom to do her own thing. If her partner respects and supports her, she thrives. She is not the possessive or jealous type. She understands her partner’s need to indulge in his own pursuits. She respects his privacy and independence. She rejects hints that something is going on and firmly defends her partner while secretly worrying that she has done something wrong to drive him away. She might not join in, but could turn a blind eye to her partner's afterhours hobby.
Shelby resents a controlling spouse, so the minute a partner tried to dominate her, she’d start figuring out a way to escape. Her need to avoid conflict and criticism is a problem. No matter how a comment is presented, she takes it personally. She responds with irrational emotion. Her distress, and immediate assumption that she is somehow at fault, make her lash out. She manipulates her partner through guilt to obtain the positive feedback she craves. It is a very unhealthy dynamic. She would not leave easily, but will if things become unsatisfactory enough.
Shelby is slow in letting someone close. Once trust has been established, she embraces the opportunity to express her intense love and affection. She is affirming and affectionate. She values the romantic aspect over the physical aspect. She places her partner’s pleasure above her own.
Next week, we will meet four more mannequins.
For more about how to craft characters, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict, available in paperback and E-book and Story Building Blocks: Build A Cast Workbook, available in paperback and E-book.
 |
| Crafting Characters |
Romance remains one of the highest selling genres over time.
Many romance novels rely on stereotypical characters that perpetuate a specific script for what constitutes true love, like flowers and candy, and romantic walks along the beach. But what if your characer is allergic to flowers, can't eat candy, and is afraid of water?
What people consider romantic is highly individual, based on their temperament, conditioning, culture, and past experiences.
Over the next few weeks, we'll examine the relationship styles of the sixteen mannequins featured in Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict and the Build A Cast Workbook.
Keep in mind that each character could be male, female, transgener, androgynous, or alien life forms. When it comes to temperament, it really doesn’t matter. For the purposes of your fiction, you can play them any way you like. I gave my mannequins androgynous names and refer to them as he or she depending on whether there are more males than females in that temperament category.
1. Wynn
Wynn is all about making her partner happy and being appreciated for it. She needs cards, flowers, and romantic words. A distant, critical partner would annihilate her heart in under thirty seconds. She puts her partner first and looks for a permanent bond.
Wynn is emotionally intense, but guards her heart. She is happy with the traditional role assigned to her. She puts the comfort of her partner at the top of her to-do list. She is caring, empathetic, and willing to gloss over minor indiscretions. Her habit of keeping things to herself to avoid conflict leads to inappropriate scatter blasts of anger and resentment during a confrontation. She often says things she can’t take back. She becomes rigid when anxious. Those tactics won’t have the effect she desperately needs. She has difficulty leaving an abusive relationship and accepting that a relationship has ended. She blames herself and obsesses over what she could have done differently, especially if she feels she has been faithful and kept up her side of the bargain. She might remain faithful to the memory of a deceased partner.
Wynn’s selflessness puts her at risk of being taken advantage of or steamrolled. She hides her distress and keeps her resentment and anger under wraps until something comes along to uncork them. If she feels unappreciated, she leaves mentally or physically. It takes a lot of provocation to push her there.
Wynn views sex as a way of strengthening the emotional bond. It is her duty to make sure her partner is happy. She is affectionate. She may not utter loving affirmations, but needs to hear them. She shows her love through gifts and small actions. She might go along with a kinky partner at first in an attempt to make him happy, but the situation will tear her down emotionally and the exit door is only one step away.
2. Francis
Francis is more interested in being right than being happy. He hates challenges to his authority and viewpoints. All is well as long as his partner accedes to his point of view and decisions. He might dominate but would react viciously to anyone who tried to dominate him. Francis is true blue and committed. He wants a permanent relationship. He takes the “until death do us part” vow literally.
Francis goes through the tradition of dating and wooing because it is expected, not because he prefers it. He struggles with huggy-touchy stuff. He is supportive and cares for his partner. If his partner points out he isn’t meeting her emotional needs, he does his best to meet them. He feels love passionately but struggles to express himself. He is faithful and loyal. He wants his home and family to run smoothly. He struggles with chaos and family members who don’t behave as they should. He imposes restrictions on his partner. He meets what he considers his obligations, which may not be the priorities his partner values.
If his partner berates him, he listens to the part that addresses functional points such as, “You need to take the trash out on Thursdays.” He ignores the emotional context, “You work too hard and are never home when I need you.” If he marries one of the feeling types, he could wreck her self-esteem.
Being right is very important to Francis. His partner may walk away if her point of view is never considered. He isn’t threatened by constructive criticism and can handle conflict without taking it personally as long as he isn’t called wrong. Leaving Francis requires a really good lawyer, or a shotgun.
Francis views sex as a physical release and his duty more so than an expression of emotion. He expects intimacy to occur on a scheduled basis. He brings home flowers and chocolates if he has been told it is expected, not out of inspiration or because he felt like it. He thinks his actions should speak for themselves. Working hard every day should count. He gives positive affirmations if his partner asks for them, even though he doesn’t need them. He deflects his partner’s attempts to praise him. The female version of Francis goes along with whatever her partner wants, though she is uncomfortable with anything out of the ordinary.
3. Nevada
Nevada’s currency is appreciation. He craves loving affirmations for working hard and providing for his partner.
Nevada takes commitment seriously and believes in living up to his obligations. He would not be a natural candidate for either submission or dominance.
Nevada avoids confrontation at all costs. He considers criticism, and the need to discuss a problem, as a personal attack. He is prone to depression and low self-esteem, so he could become submissive if warped by life. He is overly concerned with appearances and expects his partner to maintain them, so he would hide whatever he was up to.
He is good around the house. He takes care of things that need attention. He is cautious with money, because he thrives on security. He works hard to make life secure. He needs to belong: to institutions, teams, and his family. This makes him very social. He throws parties and attends events at work, social club functions, and community events. He expects his partner to participate. Pairing him with an introvert who hates parties is problematic.
Nevada needs a lot of positive reinforcement from his partner and resents it if he doesn’t get it. He is passive-aggressive in response and often does the wrong thing to elicit the adoration he craves. He won’t quit easily.
Nevada is warm and loving. He invests a lot of time and energy in making his partner happy. He views sex as an opportunity to express affection and considers withholding a deliberate insult. He is highly traditional, but eager to please his partner, so he is open to suggestion. He resists anything too out of the ordinary for fear that someone might find out.
4. Arden
Arden’s currency is gratitude and appreciation for his integrity. As long as his partner feels grateful and appreciates his hard work, things go smoothly. Arden fulfills what he sees as his commitment to the full extent of his capacity. When he chooses a partner, he plans to be with her forever.
Arden likes to be in charge and is controlling. He could become dominant, but it would not be his natural affinity. He works hard to provide financial security with a focus on the material things that signify success. He provides a secure home life, but makes room for fun and leisure. He schedules vacations. He expects his partner to do the right thing and be a good example in the community. He would be horrified to do something “unseemly.”
He sees himself as a guardian. He freely gives positive feedback when he is impressed by his partner’s behavior or accomplishments. He is open and honest with his thoughts and opinions. He expects his wife to take part in the social requirements of his job and the community. Don’t pair him with an introvert who hates going out or there is war. A feeling character is hurt by his perceived criticism and overwhelming expectations. If his partner firmly, factually, and preferably unemotionally, expresses her unmet needs, he does his best to accommodate them. He wants to do what he is supposed to and takes care of details.
Arden would not consider divorce lightly. Problems arise if he doesn’t feel appreciated. His job is to shield and protect. He can carry that too far and infringe on his partner’s autonomy. His partner might not appreciate his instructions or guiding hand. Arden is a lively lover. He tends to be traditional and may be rather regimental in his expectations. He sees sex as a physical demonstration of affection rather than a spiritual communion. He may not remember to use sweet words. He expresses love through hard work and dedication.
Next week, we'll meet four more mannequins.
You can learn more about each mannequin in Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict, available in paperback and E-book and Story Building Blocks: Build A Cast Workbook, available in paperback and E-book.
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| Currency = Motivation |
A character’s currency might be safety, money, esteem, physical objects, or spiritual wellbeing. Some desire closeness. Others desire space. A character’s “currency” is the key to influencing them, building relationships with them, and igniting their fury.
If someone keeps trying to motivate or influence your character by promising or threatening them with things they don’t want or don’t care about, their efforts will fail.
Characters with opposing currencies have a difficult time building a relationship, a friendship or a working partnership.
Emotional currency provides the carrot and the stick of dynamite.
An antagonist who threatens people with things they aren’t afraid of fails in his scene objective. An antagonist who bribes his henchmen with things they don’t want also fails in his scene objective.
If Dick is motivated by a job well done, then self-esteem is its own reward. Dick might react positively to praise or find it uncomfortable.
If Dick performs a task for the self-satisfaction of seeing it done, when Sally heaps praise on him for it, it won’t mean much. His lack of reaction can confuse and annoy Sally. Especially if Dick counters the praise with, “I didn’t do it for you.” Those are fighting words. Sally feels her gift of praise is rejected, her feelings are hurt. That will either throw her into passive mode or aggressive mode.
If Sally feels like she is giving Dick something, even if it is something Dick neither wants, needs, nor values, she expects esteem in return. Dick, not understanding her currency, won’t give it to her. He will just be annoyed that he was given something he didn’t want, need, or value.
In order for them to mend fences, Sally would have to come to grips with the fact that not everyone wants, needs, or values what she wants, needs, and values. Dick would have to learn how to graciously accept something he didn’t want because Sally was exhibiting generosity of spirit in giving it.
To go forward in a healthy manner, they would both have to learn to communicate their wants, needs, and currency in a calm, rational way. That rarely happens. Characters rarely become so self-aware that their psychological buttons aren’t pushed. That's why we have fiction ... and reality television.
The esteem of others can be a reward that reinforces Dick's scene or overall story goal. This is great if Dick is building a house for Habitat for Humanity, not so good if he is building a robot that will take over the planet.
If Sally does something with the expectation of being praised and praise is withheld, she may get mad. She may be tempted to get even. She might undo her efforts in retaliation for not receiving the accolades she hoped for. She may be driven to petty acts of spite or refuse to cooperate further. This dynamic plays out in couples, families, and offices all over the globe. It plays out in classrooms, sports teams, social clubs, and PTAs.
If Sally is denied praise and Jane receives praise, Sally will deflect her anger onto Jane. Jane will become a target for her revenge fantasies, especially if the person she really wants to punish is untouchable, dangerous, could fire her or she's married to him. She might think before she strikes at someone she has to live with. If Dick needs a specific piece of information, physical object, or cooperation, he will have to figure out what Sally’s currency is and use that to influence her to give it to him. Her mind will automatically assign a more desirable scapegoat for her frustration.
Dick can try appealing to Sally’s sense of fair play. If Sally has been repeatedly denied the praise or recognition she deserves, she won’t feel like being fair.
Dick can try appealing to her sense of accomplishment by praising her work. Sally recognizes that Dick is feeding her a line and refuses again.
Dick can try bribing her with more money than she can make in a year. Sally is well off financially and that carrot isn’t enough to sway her.
Dick remembers a conversation they had about Jane and how Jane unfairly received praise for something Sally felt she deserved the credit for. Dick offers to help her harm Jane’s reputation or make Jane look incompetent. Bingo, Sally agrees because revenge and retaliation are her currency of the moment. That doesn't make Dick a nice guy, but sometimes you have to do something bad to get something good, or at least promise it in the heat of the moment and renege on it later!
All of your characters will be motivated and influenced by their currency. Conflicts and misunderstandings will abound.
For more tips on motivating your characters, check out Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict, available in paperback and E-book.
By: Diana Hurwitz,
on 1/15/2016
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16 Characters
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Each mannequin could be male or female. I had to choose pronouns, so I went with the pronoun that matched the greater percentage of gender in each category. He and she can easily translate into masculine, feminine, or androgenous. Sex and sexual orientation do not directly affect personality type, except when it comes to social expectations and how those expectations shape the character.
Everyone has deep-seated needs that serve as currency: the thing that defines their personal carrot and stick. Dangle the right morsel in front of them and they will do anything to get it. Threaten to take it away and they will do anything to keep it.
1. Wynn’s currency is appreciation. She is the worker bee, never the queen. She needs to be needed, to hear “well done” often, and to be thanked for the everyday things she does to keep a life, a workplace, or a planet running smoothly. Telling her that her help isn’t needed or wanted is her trigger.
2. Francis is more interested in being right than being happy. He sees himself as the herd dog keeping everyone in line. He needs people to respect his authority and opinions. All is well, as long as people accede to his point of view and decisions. Call him wrong or question his authority and the fight is on.
3. Nevada hates conflict. He sees himself as the shepherd who guides the flock. His currency is appreciation for his dedication to others. He craves loving affirmations for working hard and providing for other people. Calling him selfish or telling him his efforts are misguided starts a fire.
4. Arden’s currency is gratitude and appreciation for his integrity. As long as people respect him and appreciate his hard work, things go smoothly. Tell him his assistance isn’t needed or question his intentions and the game is on.
5. Blair’s currency is affection and admiration. If she isn’t consistently praised, she deflates. Telling her she is anything but perfection or that she hasn't done anything to earn praise makes her an enemy.
6. Dallas wants to be adored for being the life of the party. She values her sense of fun and adventure. Telling her the party is over or to get serious and she will make your life hell.
7. Hadley wants to be adored for breathing. She wants everyone to be happy. Since she is generally agreeable and good-natured, people usually comply. If the adoration fades, trouble sets in.
8. Shelby wants to be honored and respected. She is a team player. As long as people treat her like a valued member of the team, family, or planet, things are fine. Questioning her character is a call to war.
9. Joss craves recognition for his intelligence and skill. He's the typical silent maverick. He is usually admired in the short-term. His derring-do draws people in, but eventually drives them off. Question his competence and you’ll like find yourself in the crosshairs of his sniper scope.
10. To Kelly, all the world is a stage and he is the main attraction. He is the ultimate game player and always wins. Never accuse him of being a loser or make him sit on the sidelines.
11. Greer is the ultimate reclusive genius. He wants recognition for his competence. Since he is usually competent, he receives it. When he forgets to take care of things he does not consider important or his efforts are misdirected, his competence might be questioned and the fight is on.
12. Taylor is the ultimate organizer or volunteer. She wants to be appreciated for her goodness and service. She usually is, unless her efforts become toxic.
13. Cam wants to be admired for his intelligence and competence. He is the deep thinker of the group. People usually admire that about him. Question his competence or his research and the fight is on.
14. Morgan also wants to be admired for his intelligence and competence. He is the ultimate thrill-seeking gambler. When his sometimes reckless behavior makes those traits questionable, the game is afoot.
15. Lee is the take control steamroller of the group. Lee wants to be top dog. Things are fine as long as her rules are obeyed. When she steamrolls the wrong person or is demoted, she turns lethal.
16. River is the most spiritual and likely to believe in the paranormal. She wants to be admired for her wisdom and desire for harmony. She is usually admired, unless her desire to be worshipped becomes obsessive or her belief system is too bizarre.
To learn more about the mannequins and how personality types create conflict for your characters, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict, available in paperback and E-book, and Story Building Blocks: Build A Cast Workbook available in paperback and E-book.
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