{"id":1285,"date":"2017-11-18T11:29:59","date_gmt":"2017-11-18T16:29:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bethturnage.com\/?p=1285"},"modified":"2023-11-17T17:53:17","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T12:53:17","slug":"writerslife-interview-with-a-character","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bethturnage.com\/?p=1285","title":{"rendered":"#Writerslife: Interview with a character"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Writers are advised to write character studies<\/a> or “interview” their characters. How do you interview an imaginary character? Here to help you is my process.<\/p>\n

Beth: Hello, new guy. Welcome to my head. Have a seat and get comfortable.<\/p>\n

NG: [looks around] Gee. It looks crowded in here.<\/p>\n

Beth: Yeah. I write a lot. Some people like to read it.<\/p>\n

NG: Hey, that\u2019s good. You should use it as a tagline or something.<\/p>\n

Beth: [clears throat, because Beth has indeed used this a tagline] Let\u2019s get going.<\/p>\n

NG: [craning neck] Who are those people over there with the swords? They look dangerous.<\/p>\n

Beth: No one you need to worry about. They aren\u2019t here for you. So, I\u2019m about to start this piece featuring you, and I thought I could get to know you a bit before I start torture\u2014I mean writing about you.<\/p>\n

NG: Wait. You\u2019re a writer?<\/p>\n

Beth: [mumbles. Scribbles on paper before her \u201cnot quick on the uptake.\u201d]<\/p>\n

NG: [Rises from seat] I don\u2019t know. I heard writers do scary things to characters.<\/p>\n

Beth: Please sit down. We have a lot of work to do, and frankly [voice turns menacing], you aren\u2019t going anywhere.<\/p>\n

NG: Why? Can\u2019t you write a chapter or two and forget all about me? I hear writers do that all the time.<\/p>\n

Beth: Not this writer. Besides, they already put up money for you.<\/p>\n

NG: [frowns] Who are “they?”<\/p>\n

Beth: The clients who bought this story.<\/p>\n

NG: [fear spreads on his face] Wait. That means you are a\u2014<\/p>\n

Beth: Yes, ghostwriter. Now, what\u2019s your favorite color?<\/p>\n

NG: [staring at a character with a sword walking toward them] Um, Red.<\/p>\n

Beth: Hmmm. Favorite food?<\/p>\n

NG: [gulping as the man with the sword stands over him, scowling] Thai.<\/p>\n

Beth: (shrugs) I don\u2019t know. This is supposed to be a Mafia romance. Well, maybe I could work on an interesting subplot with that.<\/p>\n

Sword Guy: Who in hells is this, Scribe?<\/p>\n

Beth: [distractedly, concentrating on paper] Hi, Arekan. Contract character. Just temporary.<\/p>\n

NG:[indignantly] Temporary! And just who is this?<\/p>\n

Beth: A character from one of my personal works-in-progress. Arekan, New Guy, New Guy Arekan.<\/p>\n

NG: [accusatory] He doesn’t look like a romance character.<\/p>\n

Beth: That’s right. He’s part of a science fantasy series I’m writing.<\/p>\n

NG: There’s no such category as Science Fantasy.<\/p>\n

Beth: So agents have told me. It’s a tough sell.<\/p>\n

Arekan: Now, wait a minute.<\/p>\n

Beth: Hey. Are you paying the bills? No. Then don’t complain.<\/p>\n

Arekan: You\u2019ve been spending a lot of time with these \u201ctemporary characters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beth: A girl\u2019s gotta eat.<\/p>\n

Arekan: You haven\u2019t written anything about me in months. And didn\u2019t you say you\u2019d get my two books done this year? Look at it. Six weeks left, and you aren\u2019t even halfway there yet.<\/p>\n

Beth: I\u2019m working here. Please go somewhere else.<\/p>\n

Arekan: If I didn\u2019t need you as my scribe, I\u2019d\u2026<\/p>\n

Beth: You\u2019d what? You were never intended to be a main character.<\/p>\n

Arekan: Too bad for you then. I’m not going anywhere.<\/p>\n

Beth: You sure about that? Remember, I know where the bodies are buried.<\/p>\n

Arekan: [innocently] What bodies?<\/p>\n

Beth: Don\u2019t play games with me. Or do you want me to rewrite that scene again that reveals your personal pain?<\/p>\n

Arekan: Witch!<\/p>\n

Beth: I think you are confusing me with a character. Now, please, go wander off into some other corner of my mind, before I have to do something about you.<\/p>\n

Arekan: You haven\u2019t heard the last of me.<\/p>\n

Beth: That\u2019s what I\u2019m afraid of. [Waves hand dismissively] Go.<\/p>\n

[A cute woman wanders to the table.]<\/p>\n

Cute Woman: Um, hi.<\/p>\n

Beth: Hello. And you are?<\/p>\n

Cute Woman: Don\u2019t you remember me?<\/p>\n

Beth: [scratches head, then smiles] Um, sure. You\u2019re from that MC romance I wrote a couple years ago.<\/p>\n

Cute Woman: When are you going to write more about us?<\/p>\n

Beth: Sorry to break it to you. I\u2019m not.<\/p>\n

Cute Woman: But\u2014<\/p>\n

Beth: Look. You were part of a contract piece, and it\u2019s done. You had your HEA. What more do you want?<\/p>\n

Cute Woman: But didn\u2019t you have fun writing us?<\/p>\n

Beth: I did, and it was great, but it\u2019s over now.<\/p>\n

Cute Woman: [looking dismayed] But there is so much left to tell about our story. And you left some plot threads dangling. Can\u2019t you\u2014<\/p>\n

Beth: No. Look, I don\u2019t own the rights to you. They go to the person who bought the story.<\/p>\n

Cute Woman: I-I don\u2019t think I can accept that.<\/p>\n

Beth: Persistence was always one of your best traits. But I have to get back to work now.<\/p>\n

Cute Woman: Look, if you don\u2019t write more of our story, I\u2019ll haunt your dreams. I whisper plot lines in your ear that you can\u2019t resist. You always wanted to go to Mexico. Well, go with us.<\/p>\n

Beth: I can\u2019t. I have work lined up for months in advance.<\/p>\n

Cute Woman: Please. I want to live again. I want\u2014<\/p>\n

Beth: [Sighs] I\u2019ll contact the client and see if they want a Valentine\u2019s story. But no promises.<\/p>\n

Cute Woman: Thank you! I so appreciate that. Oh? Is that my little boy crying? I have to go! [character runs off]<\/p>\n

Beth: [sigh of relief] Well, that was awkward.<\/p>\n

NG: Wow. Characters really cling to you, don\u2019t they?<\/p>\n

Beth: [writes on paper \u201cemotionally perceptive.\u201d And sighs again.] Yeah. I don\u2019t think this is going to work. You don\u2019t fit the tropes at all for the romance I\u2019m writing.<\/p>\n

NG: What? What are you saying?<\/p>\n

Beth: I\u2019ll just have to find someone else. But don\u2019t worry. I like you. Just go over there and wait in that corner, and when I have a story that fits you, I bring you in.<\/p>\n

NG: Seriously? You\u2019re dumping me? I thought this was my story!<\/p>\n

Beth: It\u2019s not you. It\u2019s me. The piece is due in less than a month, and I just don\u2019t have the time to twist your character into this story. But don\u2019t worry. I\u2019ll call when I need you.<\/p>\n

NG: [grumbles] Don\u2019t expect me to wait around for you. I\u2019m a great character. I deserve a writer who appreciates me for me. [Walks away in a huff.]<\/p>\n

Beth: [Writes on paper: “too emo for Alpha male story. Maybe gay romance.] Looks up to the line of new characters.] Next.<\/p>\n

Image from personal avatar on Bitmoji<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Writers are advised to write character studies or “interview” their characters. How do you interview an imaginary character? Here to help you is my process. Beth: Hello, new guy. Welcome to my head. Have a seat and get comfortable. NG: [looks around] Gee. It looks crowded in here. Beth: Yeah. I write a lot. Some […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9,33,1],"tags":[54,92,153,242],"class_list":["post-1285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-beth-turnage-writers-blog","category-the-writers-craft","category-uncategorized","tag-arekan","tag-character-inverview","tag-ghostwriting","tag-romance-writing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethturnage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethturnage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethturnage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bethturnage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bethturnage.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1285"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bethturnage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1285\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2227,"href":"https:\/\/bethturnage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1285\/revisions\/2227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethturnage.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bethturnage.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bethturnage.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}