Strong Characters enhance your story

So you have a great plot for a suspense fiction story. What about the characters? Having strong believable characters in a novel is essential - it adds flesh to the story. Genuine characters with warts 'n all is something that appeals to readers and sustains interest and a sense of reality in the story.

I have some characters in my novels that have been shared across different books - same character in a different setting or time period. This is common enough in a series with the main character reappearing to solve the next problem - like Jack Reacher, Harry Potter or Ellen Ripley (Alien movies). Anyone who has read a few of my books may notice some familiar people. They are exactly the same person with adjustments made for age and place as to remain consistent and plausible. They are not always the main character. I find this helpful as I already know this person and the dialogue seems to flow really easily. 

Not  every character needs a fully blown description - some are transient in a story and may just need a basic introduction and that's that. Your main characters need to go on the journey with you - they develop and change or grow along the way. Being a "strong" character means really that they have a presence and a clear personality. A "strong" character may be a frail elderly person who stutters and uses a walking stick. They may be the protagonist or the antagonist.

Your character may even be a robot, an animal or a spirit. Being human is not a requirement.

When your character strikes conflict this is the opportunity to develop them further. How will they respond? At times you may also want to add some earlier history to the individual to enhance their story and assist with the reader's understanding of their dilemma.

Why not take a look at characters in some books or movies - write a list of what makes them strong. What makes Jake Brigance stand out (main character in some of John Grisham's novels)? He is persistent, sincere, resourceful, devoted to family and a supporter of the underdog.

John Cochran a senior police officer in 2 of my books - he is overweight, gruff, often cranky and irritable, demands hard work of others, at times sexist and hides his softer side well. The language used by your characters needs to reflect their image, highlight their moods and give a clue to what they might be thinking. Where you can show and don't tell.

Stay focused - write as often as you can - on whatever device is at hand.

Outside of Google what resources are there for writers?

When writing your next suspense fiction novel where will you go to gather your information? It goes without saying that Google will be a very good friend. And let’s hope too that your own brain will be of some use.

But let’s forget the internet and your own inner resources for now and look at other areas that may be even better and way more fun!

Libraries are wonderful - not only for their books which obviously are a rich source information - especially historical publications. Most major libraries have access to decades of past newspapers, journals and research documents. These can be searched using various devices. I spent a few hours on a microfiche reader checking newspapers from the 1970's. I found myself getting sidetracked by lots of interesting articles & even some commercials.

Another source for inspiring info is old photographs. Not necessarily just your own. Maybe your parents or grandparents or those of your friends. This can be a treasure trove for information and interest. Maybe a good place to find and develop a new character, describe a scene or to gather the necessary detail for the time period in which you are writing.

Go to a museum and loose yourself! Most major cities have multiple museums and a great many smaller towns have their own smaller, but none less interesting ones - often with some emphasis on local history. A browse in an op shop or second hand book store may prove insightful also. 

What if you’re writing your novel which is set in the present day? If you are able to travel to the locations this will give you a great feel for the area. For parts of my “Max Justice” novels I went to Melbourne and Sydney. Walking through the busy arcades, the narrow lane-ways and venturing to the outer more rural areas was a delight. I took lots of photos.

Let’s not forget the humble television - TV series and movies old and new. And how about the “old fashioned” art of talking to people. Gathering details about their life and experiences can be very rewarding. Talk to anyone - children, adults of all ages or various professionals - police, architects, lawyers or health professionals.

People watching is an interesting pastime, especially in a busy area, like near a train station, in a shopping mall or city square. This can help with character ideas. Make up a story about someone you are watching - Where are they going? What job do they have? Do they have a family? Are they a serial killer? 

Being a writer also involves being a reader. Read often - books, newspapers, magazines, letters, plays, scripts even cereal boxes! Stimulate your brain and the writing juices will flow.

Strike Me Dead

A suspense fiction thriller!

Strike Me Dead - "a tale of Meteorology, Madness and Murder"

Writing this book was a wonderful experience, not only because it was my first novel, but I was able to weave my years of experience working in mental health into the story.

A young man with schizophrenia has concluded that there is a link being missing persons and thunderstorm activity, but trying to get anyone to take him seriously is to put it mildly - a challenge.

There is a pretty cool video trailer associated with this novel - definitely worth a look.

The book was professionally edited and the book cover is a standout - done by Spiffing covers in the UK.

This novel is available as an eBook and paperback through all Amazon Stores. For further information and to read the first 2 chapters for FREE visit my website HERE.