Writer's Wednesday: Realistic vs. Believable

This week, I'm revising an old manuscript. And I've been thinking about a piece of writing advice I heard some time ago at a conference (SCBWI Florida--the next conference is coming up next week!!!!): Your characters/their actions/dialogue/plot have to be BELIEVABLE but not necessarily REALISTIC.

I've heard this before, and it's usually emphasized when discussing dialogue. You know, the whole, "Real people talk with lots of ums and uhs and stops and starts. No one wants to read that." (Which is completely true, by the way. Great dialogue is believable without being truly realistic.)

But I've also run into this as an issue in my manuscripts as it relates to character actions/reactions. It seems there is a fine line between realistic behavior and believable behavior. Particularly when it relates to information the reader knows and the protagonist doesn't.

For example, in one of my old manuscripts (a paranormal), there is something strange going on. The protagonist doesn't like it/has a bad feeling, but REALISTICALLY, there is no reason for him to be truly alarmed. It's weird, but he has no reason to think that anything really bad is happening--until it gets really bad.

At least, that's how I want it to come across. But I've had readers question why he doesn't do something sooner. And the only reason I can think of for this is that they, as the reader, have read the description of the book. They KNOW something really bad is happening. So they want the protag to act sooner, and they have trouble BELIEVING that he wouldn't.

Anyway, I'm struggling with this line in my writing right now. Have you ever run into this problem? Have you ever read a book and had trouble with believability because the character was perhaps too realistic?

Depth in Streets, Avenues, & Alleyways

Characters can be so much fun to work with. That's my favorite part of writing. I tend to get a flash of an idea for a plot, and where that comes from no one knows. Do-do-do... Usually, immediately after that, an image pops into my head. Sometimes it's detailed, while other times it's not.

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I may see hair color or a simple crook at the corner of said character's grin. A scarf may suddenly appear around the character's neck, or I may get the sense of shyness or even a tendency to back away as if he/she is hiding something. Maybe running or avoiding.

There are many ways in which a writer can add depth to a character. I'm going to focus on dressing the character as if he/she is a blank mannequin. We'll leave story, plot and other elements for another post.

1. Physical Features: this is an avenue that can take all sorts of directions and usually is one of the first to direct a reader as to who the character is. There is so much fun to have here. Take chances with these. We never know the links we can create throughout the story by adding a simple nose ring or maybe blue eyes.
2. Chosen Physical Appears: basically I'm referring to a character's fashion sense. Each of us has individuality when it comes to our choice of attire. Think carefully about putting those combat boots on the debutante girl and why she'd wear them. Is she trying to tick off her parents. Or maybe she's involved in some secret society. Either way, risk it but have a reason.
3. Background: this is the simple one, yet hard all in the same thought. We can do anything with our character's pasts as long as it leads the reader to the beginning of THIS story, the one you're writing right now. Some information you dream up might be the most fantastical and interesting elements to a character, yet it does not fit or add to the story. It does not move the story forward. Leave it out, but make sure you save it for another story. You never know when it might come in handy.
4. Likes and Dislikes: just like each of us, our characters need to enjoy and/or avoid aspects of their world, whether you've created a new world or not. Give them a dislike that's challenging and bounces of their world, making it harder for them to move forward. 
5. Emotional Baggage: I HEART this part of deepening a character and could write a series about it! You can take the psyche of a character and intertwine it within the plot, subplots, interactions with secondary characters, their world, and all four of the above elements. The choices you make here to deepen the character will have a profound affect on the entire story. Emotions move, motivate, and inspire plot.

How do you imagine your characters? Does it come in a flash? Do you outline their characteristics or do a character interview?

MONDAY SANCTUARY: Mulling Over Advice

Having your manuscript critiqued is an important part of the process to publication. And it will be critiqued several times over. By your CPs. By your beta readers. By potential agents. By potential editors.

So how do you handle the critiques? I used to dread them. I used to start shaking when I'd stare at the comments section and see over one hundred line items. My heart would race as I'd see things like "I don't like this character" or "This really slowed down for me."

And, then I turned my thought process around. Now I love a good critique. Because, ultimately, a critique is helpful advice. It isn't putting down your work, it's helping you to improve it. It's helping you catch things that you didn't notice when you were in the thick of writing and buried in your own words.

Does that mean you have to take every piece of advice you receive? Absolutely not. In fact, I highly urge you to read the advice, and then walk away for a bit. Don't open your manuscript and start making changes. Mull over the advice for a bit. Take a few deep breaths. And think it all through. The good and the bad! You may have seen some advice and thought "Yes! That's it! That's a great way to rewrite that paragraph." But, ask yourself if it fits with your overall theme and voice. Ask yourself what other changes this will result in.

After you've contemplated the advice, then open your document and revise. Take the parts that work, and ignore the parts that don't. And always remember ...

It's your manuscript.