Making it Original

I was very excited to say the least when I was invited aboard Cap’n Jack’s ship. I had some reservations. I have never been a crewmember aboard a sea faring vessel. I have some experience straddling a cannon, just not on the deck of a ship… I want to tow my share of the the rope, but I realize the wenches aboard this great vessel are far more sea worthy than me.

Although I lack experience in the writing world, I wanted to be apart of this adventure to get my sea legs so to speak. I understand the basics of writing a novel. I know I need a character sketch, an outline, a plot, a synopsis and a query letter when the time comes. I know I need an agent and eventually a publisher. I know I need a heroine and a hero and I understand why a protagonist needs an antagonist. I need a muse to feed me, but she can only help provide the words and direction. My problem is getting past the first important step in writing a novel.

I have tried on occasion to do a character sketch and I have succeeded…in creating the perfect Mary Sue. My heroine always turns out exactly the way I wish I could be. My hero is always the most dead sexy male fantasy that I could ever imagine. Hell I even love to hate my villains.

Therefore, my question is this. How do you create characters with believable flaws that you can still embrace as your own? Do you have to like your heroine? More importantly, does it serve a purpose for her to behold qualities you find irritating?

I know the drill; never create a character that has the physical attributes and abilities that you find unattainable. This I can understand, where the line gets a little grey for me, is how I can create a heroine I believe in if she doesn’t share some of my own aspirations.

If I can embrace my characters, I can pass on that emotional connection to my readers. I want to create a hero and heroine that captivate the reader long after they close my book. I am excited about creating lives and situations for characters that I can call my own. However, I want them to be realistic, not superficial. I want to walk away at the completion of my novel and have pride in knowing I created characters readers want to believe are more real than fiction.

With that being said, I think the first order of business is to swab the deck of all extra baggage.

*Looking sternly at Mary Sue who is hunkered down in the bow of the ship*

“You‘ve been a cast away aboard this ship long enough. Come forth wench and walk the plank.”