My intent with this blog is twofold. First, as you can tell, I blog about fatherhood and my experiences as a new dad. Second, this blog is also about my journey as an aspiring writer. I haven’t posted about writing in a while so I thought a writing post was overdue.
Beside blogging, I write poetry, short stories, and I’m working on a book. Not to mention, I’m partnering with a friend to put together a children’s book. Needless to say, this adventure in writing is quickly becoming a third full-time job (fatherhood being number one of course), but, I find it thrilling.
OK, back to the point of my post: character development. The plot needs to be character driven. I continue to struggle with my characters. The main struggle, creating characters with depth but not so much so that the details give everything away right away. I admire authors that can keep readers fixed by slowly allowing the reader to see the complexities of the character, but not immediately.
How do I do this? When I write a short story, character development isn’t much of a problem. I want to develop the character quickly. My struggle is more with my book. I have several characters that drive the plot. However, for example, how do I depict the main character as uncertain about himself without coming right out and saying it? I guess the devil is in the details. As a side note, I’m attempting historical fiction. My story takes place during and shortly after World War II. Family, war, personal redemption, and some baseball all mixed in.
As I continue to develop the plot, I believe that each character will fall into place. The challenge is to remember I’m writing a book, not a 1,500 to 5,000 word short story.
I welcome any suggestions or guidance other writers can provide. What aspects of writing challenge you?
Related articles
- Writing Challenge: The Short Story (theevolvingdad.wordpress.com)
- Guest Post: 6 Tips for Finishing Your Novel – Rob D. Young (tweedling.com)
- How to Tell if the First Draft of Your Novel Just Isn’t Worth Salvaging (io9.com)
The Dad In Me 
I never make it far. I’ve have several unfinished short stories. I struggle with characters and keeping them the same person throughout. It’s tough and I’m just not very good at it.
It’s definitely challenging, but definitely worth the effort. I find getting feedback from others is useful. Stick with it.
-Vince
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