Yep, I have a tendency to write talking heads. Naked, talking heads.
And who wants to read that? Nobody.
Well, on second thought, the naked part might interest some. More that some, perhaps, given the
recent popularity of the 50 Shades trilogy.
Except that my characters tend to be naked by default
because I've neglected to give them any clothes.
Why? I like to write dialogue. Not just because it's fun to write, and it fills up a page
quickly. I mainly write
Regency-era historical romance which is know for its witty, rapier-quick
repartee between the often boorish, overbearing hero and the feisty heroine.
The easiest way to remedy this, and, well, to give these
poor stick figures some clothes (it does, after all, get cold in England, and
frostbite could become a problem!) is to write in layers.
I've learned that my Muse (spoiled thing that she is) can be quite recalcitrant so I coddle
her--and write a bare bones first draft consisting of mostly dialogue.
The next layer animates these characters by adding action. In Breaking Dawn, the vampires have to remember to move
so they appear human. Real people--and real characters do
others things while they are conversing.
It's the touches, the gestures, that keep your
characters from being cardboard. And your readers from being bored!
Adding emotion and feelings through exposition is one I personally find
most difficult. Here is where a
writer really has to strive to write fresh, uncliched prose while avoiding the
dreaded pitfall of telling not showing.
Like the plague. ;)
Lastly, season your story by sprinkling in the sensory
details--sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell--that really bring those
characters to life.
If all of this sounds like a labor-intensive process, it's
because it is. But it's what works
for me.
Oh, and don't forget to give those poor folks some clothes!
Check out the blogs of my accountability group as they share their perspectives:
