Let's just start off by clarifying that I am not a romance hater. Not at all. I don't dislike it in real life, and I don't dislike it in books. I do have some personal standards on what type of romance I read, and a lot of the typical romance genre happens to fall under what I don't care to read, but that said... I enjoy seeing/reading about a good, honorable romance between two people. 

     However, looking past your typical romance, I'm constantly disappointed by the lack of love in other forms at the bookstore. Love can take so many different shapes and sizes-- it can be between a parent and a child, or between siblings (yes, it's very true!), it can be between neighbors, or it can even be between strangers. Love is a powerful thing. 

     With all these different types of love, and all the various forms of expressing it, I'm always surprised how little it's been used in books, especially more modern fiction. So what are some basic ways that the element of love can be shown? 

• Parent and Child
• Grandparent and Grandchild
• Siblings
• Relatives/Extended family
• Neighbors
• Mentors or Teachers and their Students
• Person and Pet
• Coworkers
• Friends
• Strangers (How, you ask? Well, love can be expressed even towards someone you don't know!) 
• People who share your Faith
• Person with those who are in need
• Those in social services with people within the system

     But what if we wanted to go a little deeper--to start the imagination wheels turning? What about the kinds of people who could love each other? I like to think in my head sometimes of random pairings. Not romantic pairings, just "they love and care about each other" pairings. It's a lot of fun and you can get a lot of good inspiration. Because let's face it. Books revolve around relationships...you can't have a story without one. So here's some random ideas. I'll start...you finish! ;) 

• Two old ladies who are BFFs
• A girl and her younger sister
• A boy and the pastor at his church
• Young woman and abandoned baby
• Two detectives or police
• Shop owners right next to each other on the street
• Dog and abused child
• Homeless person and the neighborhood officer
• Teacher and the school outcast
• Father and his special needs child
• Bookstore owner and crazy bookbug reader that is always buying books
• Cafe Barista and the old man who just needs a friend
• .... 

And you could go on! ;) I think a lot of times people don't want to name something as "love" if it's not romantic, but let's change that. Let's write love in all it's different forms! 

Question of the Day: 
What is one of your favorite examples of non-romantic love in a book? Little Women always is my favorite example. Between the love of Marmee and her girls, and the love of the sisters, and then the love between family friends... Ah, there's just so many good examples in that book. 

Have a lovely day!
<3
Victoria

I am sitting here with my Jane Austen candle lit and a cappuccino in hand, thinking about the post I meant to write. It's an in depth post and in the works, but after writing on it for a while earlier this week I just couldn't focus on it. I really am looking forward to posting it, but I knew it wasn't going to be done today. So what's a girl to do? I didn't want to leave the blog hanging for too long, so-- aha! It was time for a little switcheroo in the schedule, and behold: next week's post published this week, and this week's post next week. I know-- wow right? :D Anyways I'm super ready to get talking about what today's post is all about-- Villains!! Dun dun dun. (Says this while smelling like floral and listening to the Black Beauty soundtrack. Yep, pretty epic!) 

Really, though, I'm not here to talk about "normal" villains. I'm here to talk about borderline villains. Those iffy characters that you're not sure whether they're good or bad. The ones who are "gray" in their morals or thinking. The ones who are against the protagonists but are pretty much against the antagonist too. Those are our borderline villains...and boy can they spice things up. 

I've been dealing with a lot of these guys recently. (Looking at you, Needlemaker!) So let's just break it down a little with some examples. Don't worry, there'll be no spoilers. ;) 

First off, let's talk about antagonists. What are antagonists, really? Basically the antagonist is someone (or something) that is working against your protagonist. Ok, so not every book has antagonists that are super in-your-face-villains. Sometimes the antagonist isn't even really that evil....or even a real person. (But that is a topic for another time, lol!) Let's take a quick look at the antagonists in The Needlemaker real quick so we can compare our "borderline" villains to them. 

Mr. Rutherford, Senior--  He's an older man...wealthy, business-like and powerful. His main goal is money, and he doesn't let anything stop him. He kind of heads up the "evil" Rutherford family... They've had scandal before and never been brought to justice, constantly finding ways to let other people take the blame. He is ruthless, focused only on himself, and pretty much has no heart. 

Charles Rutherford--  Mr. Rutherford's son, he is also a main villain--but more on a personal level to a few certain characters. He's not some "mastermind" organizing from the top but just a bad guy who has no problem hurting other people. He's a rich, spoiled man who has a leaning towards a bad temper. 

I don't want to give any more away (gotta keep some things under wraps still, lol) but you can see how these fellows are  clearly bad guys!

So let's look into what borderline villains/gray characters really are. While we can get more into detail on various archetypes for characters another time, these are basically the ones that aren't for the protagonist but they might not really be totally against them either. They straddle this weird middle ground that leaves you wondering whether they're good or bad. You don't know what they're going to end up doing because you can't rely on the fact that they will be guided by morals/goals etc that are either bad or good. Now of course, they can lean heavier on the side of good (or the side of bad) but on the whole, they're walking the middle of the line between the two...or using it like a jump rope, lol. ;) Let's take a look at some "gray" characters in The Needlemaker. 

Borderline Villains: 

Mr. Miles Creep... he's a detective that has been hired by the Rutherfords to try and help uncover the disappearance of Charles Rutherford's stepson. Mr. Creep really is very intelligent and catches on to the Rutherfords' game pretty quickly....recognizing that they're up to no good and understanding how they play. The problem is, he's not totally committed to the side of the law if there's ways he can personally benefit. He's a master at twisting things to profit himself, and though he tries to do his job well, he always works it to where he gets as much as possible out of it too...never crossing the law, really, but bending rules sometimes. He shoos beggar kids away while nursing stray cats back to health. He tries to catch criminals to keep justice when allowing others to remain free while he can profit from it. He works for people while also doing stuff behind their back to eventually bring them to trouble. He's unpredictable precisely because you never know what he considers right and what he considers wrong, and it doesn't normally fit the clear-cut, black-and-white categories of right and wrong anyways. 

Mr. Yates. Now on the other hand, we have this quiet, shy sort of bookstore owner. He's a little odd, see-sawing back and forth from being super gentle and kind to placing others into dangerous situations...whether it is intentional or not. It's hard to understand him because he changes his tune all the time with no apparent reason (unlike Mr. Creep).  He latches onto ideas that sounds good, but while he's trying to help someone out (because it pleases him) he can also endanger the lives of others...or at least end up making them very miserable. Does he notice how much pain he creates in his "good cause"? Well, the fact is, even if he noticed it, he really wouldn't care. He's not manipulative like Mr. Creep. He can appear a bit naive and good-hearted. But because he doesn't stand on stable ground when it comes to right/wrong or good/bad he often ends up as "a villain". 

Gray Characters: 

Robin Winkworth, Isabella Winkworth Rutherford, and Anthony Squires. Now that we've talked about Mr. Creep and Mr. Yates, we've covered the borderline villains in the book. But there's more-- "Gray Characters"-- characters that are almost at the borderline villain stage but lean a little towards the side of being good. Another way to describe them is that they're characters that may not be exactly helping the protagonist towards the main goal, they may actually be against them occaisonally, and they may end up rather gray on the good/bad scale...but you still feel a little sympathetic for them...sometimes. They might do things that harm the protagonist, they might serve up obstacles throughout the story, they might outright disapprove or dislike the protagonist, and they might even do some bad things. But the difference between them and a borderline villain is that they're not written like a bad guy, even if they are one. Sometimes gray characters end up reforming, but perhaps not. It really depends. I can't tell you more about the three "gray characters" in The Needlemaker because...spoilers! lol.



But how do you write borderline villains or gray characters? 
So now that we know the difference between the two and what each are like, how do we write these kinds of characters in our books? 

Let's preface a few tips by saying that in the process of developing characters you will usually be able to find out whether they are a borderline villain or a gray character. I'm a fan of telling your character's story and getting to know them really well, and I've found that while doing this you'll usually run across a few that fit in the above descriptions that just happen naturally in your story. But say you haven't come upon any characters like this yet but you really want to add one (or more). What then? You make up a character and then... well...

1. First of all, get to know your character. Oh wait, did I just practically repeat myself? Haha, yeah I did, But it's true-- even if you decide to add in a character and didn't just stumble onto him/her, get to know your character. What are his/her personal goals? How do they view life? What makes them tick? If you can figure out how they think and why, then you'll be able to know how they act. 
2. Develop them as multi-dimensional people. The fact is that if you can develop your character as a multi-dimensional person instead of a flat, cardboard-y character, then you're going to have a much easier time portraying them accurately. Don't fall back on villain cliches! There's reasons behind the why's and wherefores for your characters if you only look. Their personalities can be like a cut diamond, with dozens of different facets. You'll find that polishing up each side of your character and developing them well on all points will bring you a more complex, interesting and unique person. Not only that, but it's super important when doing borderline villains or gray characters because they're not as clear-cut as some other characters might be. 
3. Decide whether you're going for a realistic or caricature approach. Now this isn't saying that a caricature type of character is any less dimensional or realistic than a fully-realistic one. But it's just that some parts of the character are going to be a little bit exaggerated to bring a point across. Think about Charles Dickens. Many of his characters were caricatures, but they still seem like real, believable people. The thing is, when it comes to borderline villains or gray characters, this realistic vs caricature topic is super important. If you're going for an extremely realistic approach, usually the "gray"ness is going to be a lot more subtle, a lot harder to decipher. But with the caricature approach, certain things are going to be more easily recognizable and perhaps played up a little more. (This doesn't mean that a caricature style is going to give away everything--you can do it and still pull off a super interesting, confusing and surprising character). Both ways are great, and neither is less effective than the other. It's just what you're trying to get across. Knowing how you want it portrayed, though, is going to help you a lot in writing the character. 

Well there you have it! 

Question of the Day: Do you have any borderline villains or gray characters in your novel? Are they super realistic or more of a caricature? Let me know in the comments below! :) 

Y'all have a lovely day! 
Victoria <3 

P.S. Like this post? Check these out, too! 
Epic Bookbug Character Workbook and Guide
How to use the MBTI Method to Create Richer Characters
​January Music Writing Challenge Story

Do you ever get those days when you're just like a bit behind on something, so you get discouraged and boom! Motivation hits like 0. Well, that's what it has been like for me the first week of November so far. I knew that the first week would be sketchy as far as writing went, but I figured I'd keep chugging away happily and the words would begin stacking up. Well, unfortunately life isn't always like that. (Shocker I know right! lol) So here I am, not very happy with my low word count and honestly I just feel tired. I'm ok with it--I plan on just keeping at it as best as I can. Every little bit counts, and with a lot of small goals met, I'll soon be caught up... it's not always a big explosion of victory, you know. Sometimes it's the little persistent keep-at-it mentality that brings the victory, slowly but surely. ;) 

So enough of me blabbering! Let's get to this pep talk (Ok, maybe I should call it the 2nd part of the pep talk, since my "update" kind of turned into one haha). I wanted to take a moment to focus on our characters. 

Y'all know how much I love characterization and developing real, relatable characters. I was thinking about this recently...how much I absolutely love my book-people. Someone asked me how I came up with characters and I tried to think of a good answer but honestly couldn't come up with one. It just sounds weird to say I "meet them in my head" but that's pretty much what happens. And that's why when I write I'm always focusing on telling their story, not whatever it is I might want to put down in prosy elegance. Actually, I'm not good at prosy elegance, but we can pretend for a little bit. 

Here's the thing...I actually believe a lot of writers forget that important little bit there. They focus SO much on the plot, the wording, the world, the facts...whatever. And they forget that what truly makes a story good is the characters. I would much rather read a boring plotline with an intriguing character than a super cool plotline with a cardboard-cut-out, shallow character, wouldn't you? Now I'm not saying that plotlines should be boring (forbid it, haha!). There is definitely much that can be said about a good plotline and structure, of COURSE. But I want to redirect some of that attention back to the characters. 

It's amazing what comes up when you start allowing yourself to tell the character's story without any hindrance! I discovered an entirely new character, actually, who plays a super important part in my plot of "The Needlemaker" and adds yet another layer to the story. I never would have realized this if I hadn't let the main character, Kit, talk to a little girl in the street at the beginning of the book even though I WANTED him to be discovering the bad guys, lol. I also discovered that my "iffy" character in my other book, "Further Courage" isn't quite as horrible as I had always believed him... yes he's spoiled, and yes he's not got the greatest conduct at times, but it was almost shocking to me to finally understand that the view of him through my MC Melinda is more prejudiced than anything--which definitely helps develop her character even more.

But enough of my stories! What about yours? Any surprising things come about because of letting your characters "tell" the story? Do you have a favorite character? I like a lot of my characters, but one in particular in "The Needlemaker" is super fun to write--he's an extremely gray character, being neither a villain or a good character. He reminds me of a cat, actually, and he's quite the excellent manipulator. All in all he's very different and interesting to write! So let me know in the comments how it's been going for you! :) 

You all have a lovely day! :) 
<3
​Victoria

Last year I did an interview with Leo Nakano, my NaNoWriMo novel main character, and as it was really popular I decided to do it again this year with some of my main characters in a group-chat. :P 

I'm talking with the 3 most prominent main characters from the book Further Courage (We talked about it a little bit here folks!) It's a Revolutionary War Novel, set in Rural Massachusetts part time and the other half in Boston. 


Me: Hello you all! Why don't you introduce yourself? 
Melinda: My name is Melinda Hamilton, a full nineteen years old.  I'm the midwife's assistant in my small town of Kineworth. 
Kier: I'm Kier Malloy-- just your typical Irish slave with a crooked back. And I wouldn't know my age, so I won't bother with that. We'll just say I'm a young man.
Emmeline: Now, none of that sass, man. I'm Emmeline. They say I'm about twenty or twenty-one. I grew up in Kineshire as a slave. But not your Irish kind, please note. I'm black, though I'm more closely connected to England than Africa. More's the pity with this war going on, I think. 
Kier: We both work for Miss Whidden, the wealthiest woman in Kineshire.
Melinda: *groans* And absolute silliest. 
Me: * laughs * I've heard rumors stating it is so. Ok, let's go in a different direction now. What are your dreams? 
Kier: Slaves aren't allowed to dream. 
*awkward pause* 
Kier: haha, but who says I obey rules all the time? I love singing, poetry, and writing. If I lived in the time of the Celts I'd be a bard. But since I live the modern age of the 1770's I'm going to have to be content with making songs up in my head and singing them so loud and so often that nobody forgets them. Paper is costly, you know, I've never had more than one piece of it in my life for my own. 
Emmeline: Kier sings real pretty songs too, but Jasmine, the cook, has not quite forgiven him for discovering how to shatter glass with his voice. He broke all of Miss Whidden's crystal tumblers--although Miss Whidden still believes the vandal Patriots did it. 
Kier: *grins* I am a vandal Patriot. 
Melinda: You're not supposed to admit that, Mr. Malloy. 
Kier: Oh.
Emmeline: *ignoring them* If I could be anything I set my heart on, I'd marry and own my own house. Be the mistress. Hire girls to help me with the washing and cooking and dress in yellow with lace at the sleeves. 
Melinda: I should like to do something to help others--that's why I enjoy being a midwife. And ever since I was a small child I wanted to own a library room full of books, because I love reading. 
Me: That's wonderful. Now, for the last question, and this one is just for fun. What is the silliest or oddest thing you've ever done? 
Kier: Oh, that's easy. *chuckle* A year ago, when I first came here to the Whidden's house, Emmeline told me I couldn't be a spy for the Americans even if I tried--I was too obvious. Well after crushing my hopes and aspirations like that, I was determined to prove her wrong. So I stalked out the door intending to follow the first person I saw. It was, unfortunately, Pastor Laughlin, Melinda's brother in law, and I spent the next few hours stalking him and hiding in bushes. After coming out of the blacksmith's, though, he looked directly at me as I was pretending to inspect apples outside the general store and said, "Well, lad, I hope you're hungry--for the next stop is home and it's time for my supper. Susannah has baked a pie today." I was mortified. But, Melinda, your sister's pies are very delicious. 
Melinda: You went home with Laughlin? Shame! 
Kier: I did. What Irishman would decline food? Especially when offered by another Irishman. It was lovely talking, I can assure you. 
Emmeline: *laughing* And that is why Kier is not a spy. I do not tend towards silliness but one time Jasmine made this delicious looking cake. When I took it out to the dinner table though Miss Whidden just sniffed and said she thought she didn't want it after all and I was to throw it out. I was rather annoyed by this so for some strange reason I whispered, "Throw it, miss?" and then threw it across the room. She was very angry and slapped me, but the other girls and I ate so much cake while cleaning it up that it was quite worth it. The wallpaper still holds a faint stain from it, actually. 
Melinda: I have far too many moments like this to count, but most recently (last week in fact), my sister Priscilla said something about how my sister Meggy is always losing various personal articles, so I got this idea to hide everybody's right shoe or boot and see what happened. It is rather mad thinking back on it, but it seemed an excellent notion at the time, so I did it--all  the right shoes in my home disappeared and everybody was exceedingly cross the next day. In fact, it was such a bad joke that only Meggy laughed about it. 
Me: What adventures! Well, I guess that wraps it up for today. Thanks for chatting, everybody!
Melinda: Thank you in return. 
Emmeline: We enjoyed it. 
Kier: Good bye! *waves* 

Well that's all for today! Hope you enjoyed it! 
You all have a lovely day!
<3
Victoria

Guess what, my friends?!

Introducing the Bookbug Epic Character Workbook and Guide for all my lovely subscribers! If you are on my email list you will have already gotten a link for this in your inbox. If you're not signed up yet, go ahead and do it now and I'll send you the workbook immediately! :) It's 30 pages jam-packed with resources--character naming tips, summary exercises, bios, three different character questionnaires, an MBTI introduction, type descriptions, and more! 

They say that the two major points in having a book that will "WOW" your reader is a character they can empathize with and plot points that astonish them. So obviously, characters are one of the most important parts of having a good story! :) The stronger, richer, deeper and more relatable your characters are, the more people will love your book!  

​Characterization is one of my favorite parts of writing, and I'm so excited to share some of what I do to create real-life characters with you all. 

You can print it as many times as you want, and skip around and do the parts you like best. Or you could go through the whole thing, if you so desire. :) 
​
I'm really excited to share this with you and I hope it can be a great help and useful to you all. Oh, and if you know a fellow writer who would like a free workbook be sure to tell them about it. ;) 

Please leave me a comment below letting me know what you think, and if you aren't already, be sure to subscribe to get the workbook. :) 

You all have a lovely day,
<3
​Victoria