November
has come once more. For many writers and readers, November is a time to
celebrate because it is National Novel Writing Month, or as we affectionately
call it, NaNoWriMo[1].
I am not participating, but I seriously considered it. That is not saying much
though because I've seriously considered it every year since I first learned
about it back in high school. It takes time for me to get brave enough to do
something. Maybe next year will be the year - but I am getting off-topic.
NaNoWriMo is directing my thoughts towards writing, especially fiction writing.
What exactly makes a novel so good the reader can’t put it down? Every reader
will have a different answer, but I think we can agree that the characters play
a large part in whether a novel is enjoyable.
A few weeks ago, I finished reading Henry
James’ book The Bostonians[2].
I’ve known about Henry James, but have never ventured far into his works. After
reading The Bostonians, I realized that I have been depriving myself.
That is why I immediately found another on that lovely website Project
Gutenberg[3]. The part that most draws
me into his novels is his characters. They are detailed, complicated, and real.
Henry James’ characters are exactly the type a writer should study when
learning how to create intriguing characters for their novels.
Let’s consider Olive Chancellor. Ah, poor
Olive. I spent most of the book The Bostonians unsure whether to hate
her or feel sorry for her. I wanted so badly to understand and help her. However,
the more I tried to make sense of her reasoning, the more unsure I became of
what Olive would say or do next. She has such a passion for women's rights that
she comes to the point of being overwhelming. Her forceful personality is
expressed by her mannerisms because Olive is shy, awkward, and Puritan. She is
so concerned about what others think but tells herself she doesn't care. Her
morals are of utmost importance even though they often clash and create
dilemmas for her. Olive is easily offended, especially by those who she thinks
disagree with her. Forgiveness does not exist in Olive's vocabulary and she can
be very suspicious of others. Therefore; Olive is lonely, miserable, and
extremely vulnerable. Any threat to her plan for life causes her visible
terror. She spends a great deal of time staring out windows, pacing, crying,
and wringing her hands. In the end, one finds Olive to be disagreeable company
but feels sympathetic towards her because she is alone. Olive is judged and
condemned by both the world and herself.
The
person I described in the previous paragraph could easily be a factual person.
Olive Chancellor comes to life because the author has given her a unique
personality, peculiar habits, and driving passions. She has her strengths and
weaknesses; she makes good and bad choices. Olive's reasoning is irrational and
her behavior is odd. The intricacies are what make her a compelling character.
The things that make up a person in our mind are the things that make up the
best characters. The common advice that aspiring authors and editors should
read good writing goes far beyond Henry James. Olive Chancellor is only one example
that can teach many lessons about creating unique characters for a novel. I've
been more focused on characters lately because I believe it is one of the
weaker points in my fictional writing. In my mind, the characters are such a
pivotal part of the novel, both as the subjects and the movers of the plot. I'm
learning, courtesy of Henry James, that details are what make characters real.
In
my writing, my characters are somewhat detailed by default of having existed
for so many years. They are still vague in critical areas and I have been
trying to take a cue from Henry James in better developing them. My main
characters are the toughest for me. They are a little lost right now concerning
a driving passion and their personalities have some inconsistencies. Luckily,
NaNoWriMo has plenty of advice for working out solid characters. I'm hoping it
will make my story better. There is no way my novel is ever seeing the light of
day unless I feel at least halfway satisfied with it.
I believe that besides good writing, a good source of criteria for good characters is the reader. I'd like to hear your opinion. Do you have a favorite character? What makes characters stand out to you? Do you like seeing the story from the perspective of the characters? All these things, when they come together, can help create a critical aspect of a truly good novel.
[1] NaNoWriMo,
Accessed November 2, 2019, https://nanowrimo.org/.
[2]
Henry James, The Bostonians (New York City, New York: Barnes & Noble
Books, 2005).
[3] Project
Gutenberg, http://www.gutenberg.org/.
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