In honor of Valentine’s Day, I’m going to host a “101 Ways to Love Your Characters” clinic here on the blog, beginning Friday, 2/13 thru Sunday, 2/15. This invitation is open to anyone on the planet who has anything at all to say about characters.
If you’re a reader, I want to know about your all-time favorite characters and why you love them.
If you’re a writer, I want to know about all your tricks and techniques that help you create memorable characters. My friend Jenna is going to blog about using tarot; my friend Soleil is going to use astrology; and I’m going to talk about a variety of things, like static traits and possibly what I’ve learned using I Ching.
The clinics will be informal, chatty, and above all, fun!
I’ll post daily Clinic entries here, linking to everyone who’s participating to share the link love. Simply e-mail me (see the About tab) or comment on any post and leave me your link to be included. I’ll be giving away two prizes: one to the posters; one to the commenters (on any participating blog entry, not just mine). Posters may comment to gain more chances to win.
Since Ann and Bethanie can attest to how much I suck at getting packages in the mail *mutters at self and eyes the box on the corner of my desk that I should have mailed last freaking year!!*, the rules are very simple. Up for grabs: two $20 prizes, winner’s choice
- Amazon order (that qualifies for Amazon Prime or includes shipping) up to $20
- any online book retailer $20 gift certificate (Amazon, B&N, Fictionwise, Drollerie Press bookshop, etc.)
So make a note on your calendar and I hope to see you next weekend!
Hey, No worries about the package, just let me know when it does get sent, so I can know when to expect it. 😀
P.S. I posted some pictures of the new look at the dayjob, if you want to see what I’ve been up to instead of writing. The blog is sonotogo.blogspot.com. (It’s done, yay)
Hmmm, if I can find the time (*falls off chair laughing*), I’d love to go on and on and on about several of my all-time favorite characters. 🙂 Should I just email you my ramblings? Or post them on my blog? Or what? Sorry, I am utterly brain dead today — it’s a grant submission day, so I was up late editing madly (yaay, mtDNA! oxidative stress! isoprostanes!… oooo, sorry, did I type that out loud?… 😳 ), am now waiting for my faculty dude to get done reviewing the edits, so we can hope like hell that grants.gov doesn’t CRASH the damn thing when we try to submit it…
OMG, can you tell I need to WRITE, instead of edit other people’s stuff for a change??? Gaaah!
Hmm, two days….ok that means just the bare bones, which probably saves my sanity a little. 😎 I got this. This is going to be fun.
Bethanie- I, for one, would love to read your ramblings n favorite characters.
How wonderful! And that makes me want to do something Valentines-y for my blog now, lol! I’ll be sure to be checking here for the “clinic”–I think it’ll be loads of fun and a lot of good info!
Bethanie, it’s up to you. You can put them on your own blog and I’ll link to them — or e-mail them to me and I’ll post them here. Whatever’s easiest! I’d love to see what you’re thinking!
Soleil, you can either post each day — or once — whatever works best for you. Think loose and fun! I’m looking forward to whatever you post!
Meredith, thanks, and I hope we can give you some good info! If nothing else, we’ll have fun.
Count me in, Sis. I definitely need to think about something…else. *wry grin*
Yay! Looking forward to whatever you do, Sis!
*G*Valentine’s Day… a curious holiday celebrated in only two of the worlds I write about… hmm, and I hadn’t even thought much about it before this (having a long-term boyfriend changes a lot of things, I’ve noticed!)
LOL, as to which character, sheesh that’s tough to pick from indeed! I’m with Bethanie; I’d tend to ramble on and on and well I’d be worried I sounded like a pompous ass or something (that’d be me I’d be worried about, Bethanie, not you)… because, you see, I’m honestly not sure how I do characterization half the time. Though there are a couple things I could probably say and feel ok:)
OK, well, I’m just slightly embarrassed to admit that I already have 5 posts scheduled for the contest (can you tell that a. I need to write and b. I reeeeeally want that Drollerie gift certificate??? 😀 ). They’re all about my favorite characters in other people’s books, though, not about my own. The very thought about expounding on why I like my own characters is making me really uncomfortable… why is that???
[…] may be relevant to your interests I’m sending you over to Joely’s for details on the Character Clinic, which will take place Febuary 13th-15th and is open to any who […]
Nah, Bethanie, I understand exactly how you feel! I have favorite characters too, and could talk ad nauseum about them and all the characterization I do and all that… which is why I’m trying to reign myself in LOL. Though amusingly enough, Joely, you’ve inspired me in a completely different manner!
Jess
Jess, I do hope you join us! Whatever you say about characters, whether your own or your favorites as a reader, will be welcome. No one will dare believe you’re a pompous ass! Do tell — what inspiration in a completely different manner?
Wheee, Bethanie, you ROCK! I can’t wait to read your posts!
Bethanie- Five posts? Hell yeah! I’ve got some good reading to look forward to next weekend.
LOL, actually, Joely, I wrote some about it on my own blog and linked back here (because you do have the credit for this one). But to be brief, and briefer than I was on my blog LOL, I took a whole different meaning when I first saw the title of your clinic invite, and it’s given me a couple of story ideas. *G*But only for a couple of worlds, you see…
Hah thanks for the vote of confidence, by the way! I’m going to think on who I’d write about for the clinic, really:)
Should mention I’ll be posting: I’m talking about characterization in romance novels, specifically the old “an arsonist and a firefighter” trope, and go from there. We’ll see where it takes us! 🙂
[…] stint doing therapy, I now occupy the paid portion of my days with research and teaching. When Joely suggested a Character Clinic last week, I immediately knew that I wanted to talk about character interviews. This has been […]