ARC of Dying Thoughts - Seventh Death

ARCS ARE COMING

If you’re interested in reading Dying Thoughts - Seventh Death before anyone else and are happy to leave a review on Goodreads and the relevant Amazon sites on release day, then please do sign up at this form here: https://forms.gle/QgyFmNoN6ZTa3MsC7

The Dying Thoughts series is YA crime/mystery/paranormal that follows Tara who has a gift that allows her to see the last moments of someone’s life when she touches something that used to belong to them. 

The blurb for this book is here:

Tara will have the house to herself while her Dad goes on his comeback tour. She has plenty of ideas about what to do with the time. Parties, college work and all the bits and pieces that come from being a student who also works for the police.

It’s only when an accident almost kills Colin that Tara’s life is turned upside down and she is pulled from college to sit by her father’s bedside. Away from home, from her friends, from her life, she has to somehow piece together what really happened on that tour bus and she has to do it with only her gift and a little help from Kaolin.

Only, someone is determined that Colin won’t survive his injuries, and if they have to take Tara out in the process, that’s a price they’re willing to pay.

Can Tara solve the puzzle before they catch up with her?

The release date is MAY 15TH 2019

YOU WILL HAVE THE BOOK BEFORE MAY 1ST

Sadly I am only able to offer e-format at this time.

This book can not be read as a standalone, but if you’re interested in catching up with the series beforehand, reach out to me and we may be able to work something out.

Review of Triggered by Michael Evans

Memories will break you.

Natalie thought that she would be able to fix her past, but some things are forever broken. After being rescued from the rubble, Natalie is welcomed into a new world of horrors, where she is reunited with a humanoid version of Hunter and barred by Danielle from seeing her mom. With her newfound memories, there are only more questions and pain, and Natalie is finally ready to move on to a future where she can truly be happy.

But President Ash has a plan of his own, specifically one for not only ending the civil war in America but reducing everything to dust. A new program called Maga X has been in testing for years, resulting in the deaths of thousands. When President Ash decides to release this new program upon the population of America, he won’t just be mind controlling them, he will be vaporizing them from the face of the earth. However, Natalie, Hunter, and her mom have a plan, one that involves ending the life of one man to save the lives of millions. And this time it’s not just about saving themselves, it’s about saving everything before it all turns to nothing. 
Amazon 

My review: 4 stars
I was happy to read this book having read the previous two. The writer's style is not one that I was usually prefer, but I was able to get through the book and enjoyed reading it. Natalie is finally getting to a point where maybe she can have a life, she can have something that makes her happy, but everyone else continually wants something from her. They place so much pressure on her shoulders and it's enough to make anyone crack. Of course when you throw in the lack of knowing if her memories and what she feels is real, it's understandable that she switches moods so rapidly. The story is well-written, if a little wordy, but as I moved through the book I found myself making guesses at where Natalie's would end up, would she make the jump to save humanity, or would she stay focused on saving herself. I will say the ending surprised me and I would love to see where the series ends up going. Otherwise, a good book.

You can follow Michael on Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter.

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here

Questions From Readers - March 2019 [CC]

Answering questions from you guys! #Authortube

PRE-ORDER DYING THOUGHTS - SEVENTH DEATH: http://www.books2read.com/DTSD
JOIN MY STREET TEAM: https://goo.gl/forms/lg1Q9hbrRVSrzV2E3
SIGN UP FOR AN ARC OF DYING THOUGHTS - SEVENTH DEATH: https://goo.gl/forms/ThxW1hViDlz6IQl83
THE BOOK ROBIN HOODS: https://therobinhoods.wixsite.com/thebookrobinhoods
BUY MY BOOKS: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/aboutjoeys-books.html
BLOG: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/
TUMBLR: http://authorjoeypaul.tumblr.com
FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/JoeyPaulOnline
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/MsJoeyBug
INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/authorjoeypaul
GOODREADS: http://bit.ly/1UcS61E

#TEASERTUESDAY

Tara is excited about spending some time alone, and happy that her Dad is back doing what he loves. Even if his list of rules are a little strict for her!

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/DTSD

[ID: A blue graphic with a teaser for Dying Thoughts - Seventh Death. Below the title is the release date: Coming May 15th 2019.

The excerpt is as follows:

“I’m sure I’ll survive six weeks without you!” I said, laughing a little. “I’ll have Kaolin over and we can have a few raves…kidding about that last part!” Though, I did plan to throw a party or two, Dad didn’t need to know about that.
“The list also has the ground rules. No boys after eleven. You don’t miss college unless you are actually sick and no parties. At all,” he replied, looking serious.
I raised my eyebrow. “Dad, I’m seventeen, I should be able to have ‘boys’ over if I want, besides you’ll be living it up with hot groupies, won’t you?!”
END ID]

Disabled Characters FTW! - The Creative Process

DISABLED CHARACTERS FTW!

I talked last week about representation (found here) and this week I want to touch on something near and dear to my heart, and that is: disabled characters. Now I've talked about this before (pieces here and here, video here) but it's been a long while since I really spoke about this issue. A lot of the time, it feels like disabled characters get forgotten about. We end up with the tragic ending, or being cured when actually we're just happy being in fiction. There's a lot than goes into this, some of it is the belief that disabled people are better off dead, some of it is the idea that every single one of us just wants to be cured magically and go on our way, and some of it is plain old ignorance.

When I started my AuthorTube channel, I did so without really saying much about my own disability. If you follow me there, you know that I regularly open up the floor for questions from my readers, you guys basically. You'll also know that a lot of the time, I got a lot of similar questions: what's wrong with you? It got to the point where I did a whole video addressing that because I just got sick of being asked all the time. (For the curious, the video is here) But what does that have to do with disabled characters and why you should write them?

I'm glad you asked. It's as simple as this. A lot of the time, I'm seen as tragic and/or inspirational because I both write and exist while being chronically ill and in a wheelchair. A lot of the unsolicited messages I get are from people unaware of what my deal is, and therefore asking what's up with me and how does it get fixed. And there in lies the problem. You can't "fix" me. I am, firstly, not broken, and secondly, there is no known cure. And I'm okay with that. There are some days when I'm not, but for the most part, I am okay with the way my life is going. Because of getting sick, I was able to start my writing career and if that'd not happened, I wouldn't be where I am today. But before you start telling me how inspiring that is, read on a little further.

A lot of the time, when people like me are in stories, they're seen as a warning, or a tragic ending. People fawn over them, feel sorry for them, use them as a way to build themselves up and generally the disabled character isn't at all well-rounded, because they are, at the basic, a prop to spur on the protag and save the day. And that's a really hard pill to swallow as both someone who grew up chronically ill, and someone who writes young adult fiction. As I mentioned last week, I don't think abled people should be writing about the struggles of being disabled, but that doesn't mean we have no place in your story. It also doesn't mean that for a happy ending, the disabled person has to be cured or die so that they are "no longer suffering."

I say it like that but I know there are a wide array of views when it comes to both the disabled community and the chronically ill community, the crossover between the two is a lot and everyone is different. I am not, by any means, claiming to speak for anyone but myself. I'm not the voice piece and I am only going by my own feelings and thoughts when it comes to disabled characters in fiction that I've read or seen talked about.

So what are my tips when it comes to writing disabled characters and how can you avoid falling into a trope plot hole that makes it more cringey than readable? Glad you asked, because you know that I love to give out tips on these posts so here's my top five when it comes to writing disabled characters.

#1 - NO INSPIRATION PORN
If you're not disabled, then you've probably never heard this term thrown around. Lemme break it down for you, inspiration porn is when you see a photo or video of someone in a wheelchair or visibly disabled doing something completely ordinary. It's then held up for all to see, usually with the words: What's your excuse? It's the bane of disabled lives because we're seen as so tragic that we simply exist to build up abled people and show them that if we can do x then they should be surpassing us by miles. It's a similar kinda thing to that saying: The only disability is a bad attitude. Which is crap and allows me to use this gif to convey it.

 
But this is something you should be avoiding at all costs when it comes to writing disabled characters. You should not be putting them up as the standard to live by, unless they're doing something exceptional for anyone. It should never be despite their disability. Of course mileage may vary here, but personally I find characters who are super awesome at what they do well-rounded when they're not being touted as so inspirational because they got the thing done while also being disabled.

#2 - CHECK YOUR TERMIOLOGY
This is something that applies to a lot of marginalised characters, and that is making sure you're using the right words to describe them. I can't talk on writing characters of colour and how to describe their skin tone and hair, but I can tell you that a lot of disabled people prefer being referred to as just that: disabled. Not differently abled. Not person with a disability. But disabled. Again, mileage may vary and it's not something you have to take my word for, as I said above, do your research and talk to people with that disability when writing these characters, especially if you're not disabled yourself.

Another word that I would rather not be used by those without a disability is the word cripple. It's been a slur against disabled people for a long time, and while some have reclaimed it, myself included, it's not something that should be thrown around. On top of that things like wheelchair bound are seen as a no-go. My wheelchair frees me, it doesn't bind me. In that regard something as simple as switching it to wheelchair user, can be a better idea.

#3 - HAPPY ENDINGS ARE OKAY
As I mentioned above, a lot of the time, disabled characters don't get happy endings. They either die tragically and that is seen as a happy ending, or they get erased from the whole thing. It's okay to write a character who doesn't get cured and yet still survives to tell the tale. On top of that, it's more than possible for someone in a wheelchair or with a disability to have a good ending. To have been part of the action and gone on to have a rich, fulfilling life. It's okay to let us be happy and it's okay for us to stay disabled.

#4 - LOVE HAPPENS
This is something that is shied away from a whole lot and it's a pain in my backside. Disabled characters can have love interests. We can even have sex should we wish to. We're not so faux pas as to never get the girl (or guy) because we also happen to wheel rather than walk. So if you're thinking that your love interest can't be with a disabled character because of the disability aspect, think again, it's possible, it happens, and it should be shown in fiction!

#5 - CURING ISN'T THE END ALL
I touched on this a little in some of the other points, but not all disabled people want to be cured. It was a big thing for me when J K Rowling announced that there were no disabled people at Hogwarts because they'd all be cured. It left a bad taste in my mouth because it just felt like erasure, which is what it is. Disabilities are real, they have a lifelong effect, and announcing that there are no disabilities in your world and therefore no need for adaptation etc, is lazy writing. There, I've said it, and I know I'm not alone there. Allow your disabled characters to stay disabled, because in the real world there are people reading who never get to see themselves in fiction, and who won't get a cure because there isn't one.

So those are my five tips and pointers when it comes to writing disabled characters. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to sound off in the comments below!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books

#AmWriting - #010 [CC]

A writer writes... #Authortube

PRE-ORDER DYING THOUGHTS - SEVENTH DEATH: http://www.books2read.com/DTSD
JOIN MY STREET TEAM: https://goo.gl/forms/lg1Q9hbrRVSrzV2E3
SIGN UP FOR AN ARC OF DYING THOUGHTS - SEVENTH DEATH: https://goo.gl/forms/ThxW1hViDlz6IQl83
THE BOOK ROBIN HOODS: https://therobinhoods.wixsite.com/thebookrobinhoods
BUY MY BOOKS: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/aboutjoeys-books.html
BLOG: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/
TUMBLR: http://authorjoeypaul.tumblr.com
FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/JoeyPaulOnline
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/MsJoeyBug
INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/authorjoeypaul
GOODREADS: http://bit.ly/1UcS61E

Review of On A LARP by Stefani Deoul

Question: Do any of you know the truly scary part about being seventeen?

Answer: Your brain doesn't actually know, understand or care what it can't do; and, while this sounds great in theory, in my particular case, my under-developed brain apparently didn't know I couldn't fly.

So I jumped . . .
And I plummeted . . .

And I promise you, if I somehow manage to survive this act of immature-brain-encased-in-unbelievable-stupidity, I will gladly tell you exactly how I got here.

Which, for the record, is chasing a dark-web killer through the middle of a live action role-playing game, better known as a LARP.

On a LARP introduces readers to teen coder, Sid Rubin, a smartass—and super-smart—high school kid with a strong conscience and a knack for solving problems. This high concept, frenetic ride dives into the fascinating world of interactive role-playing when Sid recognizes the photo of a murder victim during an AP field trip to a police station. What starts out as an Aha! moment soon finds Sid and her unlikely posse of friends chasing a dark web killer through the middle of a live action role playing game. Sid and the gang work to unravel a deeply encrypted mystery while simultaneously enduring pop quizzes, endless Ted Talks, teenage heartbreak, suspicious parents, cosplay, and the irresistible lure of the NYC Public Library.

Amazon

My Review: 5 stars
HOLY AMAZE-BALLS! This is an amazing book! I was hooked from the first line and was desperate to jump right into the story after the prologue. It was fast-paced, with a good look at teenage Sid with her friends all kinda happily supporting her along the way. I loved the sci-fi angle, the cosplay, the LARP, the whole embracing of geekdom! It's amazing written and I basically couldn't get enough of it so I had to pick up book two! This is a brilliant YA series and I can not recommend it enough! Highly, highly recommended! Pick this book up, you will not be disappointed!

You can follow Stefani on her website, Twitter or Facebook.

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here

Cover Reveal: Dying Thoughts - Seventh Death [CC]

The Cover Reveal for Dying Thoughts - Seventh Death #Authortube

GIFGRRL: http://www.gifgrrl.com
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING BLOGS:
JENNY: https://levicorpvsblog.wordpress.com
JESSICA: http://jessbookishlife.wordpress.com
RAMISA: http://Sentrancedbookworm.wordpress.com
ARIEL: https://librarielbookreviews.wordpress.com
SUMITH: https://mywriteupssumith.wordpress.com
PHILOMENA & SUSAN

PRE-ORDER DYING THOUGHTS - SEVENTH DEATH: http://www.books2read.com/DTSD
JOIN MY STREET TEAM: https://goo.gl/forms/lg1Q9hbrRVSrzV2E3
SIGN UP FOR AN ARC OF DYING THOUGHTS - SEVENTH DEATH: https://goo.gl/forms/ThxW1hViDlz6IQl83
THE BOOK ROBIN HOODS: https://therobinhoods.wixsite.com/thebookrobinhoods
BUY MY BOOKS: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/aboutjoeys-books.html
BLOG: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/
TUMBLR: http://authorjoeypaul.tumblr.com
FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/JoeyPaulOnline
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/MsJoeyBug
INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/authorjoeypaul
GOODREADS: http://bit.ly/1UcS61E

#TEASERTUESDAY

Tara and Nate's relationship has moved on since Sixth Change but will she ever stop being a lovestruck teenager?

[ID: A graphic with a teaser for Dying Thoughts - Seventh Death. The title is large under which is: COMING IN MAY 2019. The teaser reads as follows:

“I wish they would stop spending money on crap and actually fix the fucking heating,” I said, thinking back to my earlier observations.
“I love it when you swear,” Nate said, his smile showing off his dimple.
“Ummm,” I said, desperate to think of something to say, anything would do. So long as it didn’t make me look like a love struck teen who needed to take some time and learn more vocabulary. “Thanks?”
END ID]

Don't forget the cover reveal on the 21st! So excited to share it with you guys on my Authortube channel!

GIVEAWAY ALERT

🎉GIVEAWAY ALERT🎉
To celebrate having won two awards I will be giving away one copy of the two books to two lucky winners!
**
RULES.
1. Must be following @authorjoeypaul
2. Must share this post on their insta-stories for 24hrs and tag me so I see it!
3. Must be able to give me their mailing address.
4. Giveaway ends Monday 25th March at 12 midday GMT.
5. That's all! Have fun!

Diversity In Fiction - The Creative Process

DIVERSITY IN FICTION

This has been on my list to write for a while and because of that I've had a lot of time to think about how to put it all on the page. I've talked about disability and writing before. I've talked about why representation matters (found here) and my own thoughts of writing disabled characters (video here). Next week I will be focusing solely on that, so for now I'm going to stick to plain old diversity and why you as a writer, whether you are marginalised or not, should be writing a diverse cast of characters and stories.

When writing you're generally in charge of what the world you're writing about looks like. A lot of the arguments throughout the interweb are that people either don't want to get it wrong, or don't feel like including 'diverse' characters should be 'forced' on a writer. I have to say, if you think the latter, then I gotta wonder what you're doing writing in the first place. I feel like a lot of the time, in that regard it's usually people who've just started writing and are, generally, seeing themselves in fiction constantly. They're usually white, het, cis, abled and male, though of course white woman do the same as well. And I'm not going to say that I got it right first time around. I didn't.

For a long time I didn't really think beyond my characters' names and make up. I didn't think about whether or not they should be gay or straight or trans or non-binary. Disabled or chronically ill, or religious or not. Or non-white or any of those things. Because I was writing what I thought were the stories that I should tell. The stories of, mostly, white, abled, teens. It was really only when I finally got the courage to write Lynne & Hope, that I went all out and made Hope unapologetically disabled. There was no getting around the wheelchair on the front cover. You couldn't argue she wasn't disabled, it was right there.

But I still didn't always talk about skin colour when describing my characters. It's something that I've learned from and something I am striving to do better. And a lot of that was ignorance. It was not knowing any better, or at least not consciously knowing any better. And now, here we are in 2019 and I am writing diverse books. I don't do it because I want a pat on the back. I don't do it for sales, I do it because those are the stories that I want to tell. These are the characters that popped into my head and wouldn't shut up. And it's not about being forced, it's about being aware that there are people who are not me in my worlds. They're not white, nor are they bi, nor are they cis female. The worlds I create are made up of multitudes of people and that's because they are real worlds.

Look at it this way, no one is going to tell you how to write your story, but if you only see the 'default' as the only cast of characters, then your world needs work. As for those who are afraid of getting it wrong, that's a valid fear and one I have come to face myself. But that's why there's research. You can talk to people, get beta readers who are in those marginalised groups. You can contact people you know, and ask, respectfully, about what tropes to avoid and what things to think about when writing this story.

Though, I will say that there are some stories that non-marginalised people shouldn't write. And those are the stories that are about being marginalised. Like I shouldn't write a story about living with racism because I never have and never will. BUT I can write a story about a black or brown kid doing their normal life, because the whole point of a character is for them to be well-rounded and not reduced to one attribute and only that. So if you're shying away from writing a disabled character because you think you need to be disabled, then just remember that you don't have to write a story based solely around disability. I feel like those should be left to the people, like me, who have experienced that kind of oppression. The same goes across the board of course.

So when it comes to planning your cast of characters, just remember that there is no default, and if you think otherwise, then you might need to open your eyes to the actual world around you. Good luck!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books

BONUS SUNDAY: Author Tag: Hello World Authortube Newbie Tag [CC]

HELLO WORLD AUTHORTUBE NEWBIE TAG

CREATOR: MEGAN TENNANT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikpeUlwUZ5Q

TAGGED BY CHRISTOPHER DROST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-g4Cn3tJqc&feature=youtu.be

Hello World Authortube Tag Questions

1) What genre and age group do you write in?
2) What stage of the writing journey are you in? And how long have you been writing for?
3) What’s your current WIP?
4) Traditional, indie, or unsure?
5) What made you want to join authortube?
6) Are there any channels (authortube or otherwise) that inspired you to join?
7) How long have you been watching authortube?
8) Is there anything special or unique you hope to bring to Youtube?
9) What inspired you to start writing?
10) Now to start out your authortube channel in the true nature of authortube. What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?

TAGGING ANYONE WHO WANTS TO DO IT

#Authortube

COVER REVEAL FOR DTSD SIGN UP: https://goo.gl/forms/d6fYa2FpSqeYvldO2
BUY WALK A MILE: http://www.books2read.com/WAM
THE BOOK ROBIN HOODS: https://therobinhoods.wixsite.com/thebookrobinhoods
BUY MY BOOKS: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/aboutjoeys-books.html
BLOG: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/
TUMBLR: http://authorjoeypaul.tumblr.com
FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/JoeyPaulOnline
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/MsJoeyBug
INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/authorjoeypaul
GOODREADS: http://bit.ly/1UcS61E

Review of Delusional by Micheal Evans

Memories will make you.

Natalie isn’t dead, but her past is. With Protocol 00 finally having been shut down, the free will of the country was received at the price of the memories of Natalie. After being found trespassing in Area 51 she is taken as prisoner where her mind is wiped and life meets its impending doom. However, just before she is about to be executed she is broken out of Area 51 by the White Knights, where she is thrust into a war-torn land with the expectation that she will lead the overthrow of President Ash’s regime once and for all.

But although Natalie wants to help end all the destruction she feels she has caused, she wants to get her memories and past back more than anything. Surrounded by lies and manipulation, Natalie quickly realizes that no one seems to care or have answers about her past. And with the government still out to kill her, the real struggle becomes, not if she will get her memories back, but if she will live to make more.   
Amazon

My review: 4 stars
I picked this up as the first one had intrigued me and I wanted to see where the author went with the story. I felt like I was pulled in, yet there were times when there seemed to be too much of the same thing. Natalie has lost her memories and is in a race against time to either get them back or learn to move on without them. Yet everyone around her wants something from her, whether that's what she wants or not. She's left without a choice and while she fights against the system, she finds hope in that one day she will truly be whole again. I enjoyed the read and didn't see the ending coming. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series!

You can follow Michael on Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter.

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here

Life Of Joey & Bi-Monthly Goals - March 2019 [CC]

All about my life in the past month and what I've been up to! #Authortube

COVER REVEAL FOR DTSD SIGN UP: https://goo.gl/forms/d6fYa2FpSqeYvldO2
BUY WALK A MILE: http://www.books2read.com/WAM
THE BOOK ROBIN HOODS: https://therobinhoods.wixsite.com/thebookrobinhoods
BUY MY BOOKS: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/aboutjoeys-books.html
BLOG: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/
TUMBLR: http://authorjoeypaul.tumblr.com
FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/JoeyPaulOnline
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/MsJoeyBug
INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/authorjoeypaul
GOODREADS: http://bit.ly/1UcS61E

Award Winning Books

I am honoured to announce that both It's Not Always Rainbows and Walk A Mile both won awards in the 5th annual New Apple Literary Awards 2018.

It's Not Always Rainbows was the solo medallist in the Gay/Lesbian/Bi/Trans genre

Walk A Mile was in the Official Selection for YA Mystery/Thriller genre!

I am so floored by this!

From Joey's Instagram

View this post on Instagram

#TEASERTUESDAY Tara has never kissed a boy before, nor does she know how to disentangle the feelings she has. 👫👫💜💜 . Buy here: www.books2read.com/DTSC or the link in my bio! . . #authorslife #authorsofinstagram #indieauthor #amwriting #writerslife #writersofinstagram #books #bookish #writinglife #joeypaul #readers #readersofinstagram #writingcommunity #indiesofinstagram #writing #booknerd #bookworm #reading #lovemyjob #ilovewriting #igwriters #reading #DyingThoughts6

A post shared by Joey Paul (@authorjoeypaul) on Mar 11, 2019 at 11:31pm PDT

From Joey's Instagram

View this post on Instagram

And this morning's #mondaymotivation comes from Ernest Hemingway! Got a chapter to write today so let's get on with it! ✒✒🤗🤗 . What's your favourite quote? . . #authorslife #authorsofinstagram #indieauthor #amwriting #writerslife #writersofinstagram #books #bookish #writinglife #joeypaul #readers #readersofinstagram #writingcommunity #indiesofinstagram #writing #booknerd #bookworm #reading #lovemyjob #ilovewriting #igwriters #igauthors

A post shared by Joey Paul (@authorjoeypaul) on Mar 11, 2019 at 2:28am PDT

Character Flaws - The Creative Process

CHARACTER FLAWS

Something you learn when writing is that no character is perfect. They can't be, because they're, generally, human, and no human is perfect. Part of creating a well-rounded character is giving them flaws that set them off from being the perfect person ever. It's something you notice if, like me, you've spent a lot of your time people watching and creating characters based on faces and actions from those around you. Everyone has flaws and every character has at least one distinct thing that they do wrong or differently to any one else. It's part of the creative process, but it's not something I've touched on before. So today, I'm going to tell you all about character flaws and why they matter in your story.

I don't know about you guys, but the first thing I usually have when creating a character is a name and an idea of what they look like. I know a lot of writers who struggle with the first but always have a good idea of the second. I've been known to troll baby name sites, but in actuality making up names comes pretty easy for me. So once I have that down, I'll start thinking about how they are. I don't always know much about them as a character until I start writing, start finding their voice and such, because I'm a hybrid and that's how I do things (pieces found here and here).

However, I can tell you a few bits and pieces about how I work out what flaws need to apply to each character and how they're not set in stone. Because I do a lot of my character discovery through writing, it's easier for me to pants the majority of it and then tighten things up in revision and edits. But I do have a five-step plan for working out what things they may or may not do and how I get that to translate into tangible flaws. So buckle up, we're going in!

#1 - ARE THEY A GOOD CHARACTER OR NOT?
By this I mean, are they helping the protag or are they actively working against them. Of course no character is one hundred percent bad or good, but asking myself this can give me a good idea as to whether or not they fit the mould for someone who will be helping, or someone who will do whatever they can to put roadblocks in the way of the main plot. Once I have that decided, I can work out the rest. That's not to say that characters don't change sides, because sometimes they do, and sometimes as I'm writing them I realise that I actually have it wrong and it works better if they switch from one side to the other, or even remain indifferent to the plot.

#2 - WHAT'S THEIR FUNDAMENTAL MAKE UP?
In other words, are they honest? Would they be the kind of person to self-sacrifice at whatever cost it may be? Are they going to stand by their words or are they wishy-washy and just wanting to please whoever is in front of them? Do they want to be well-liked or could they not care one iota who likes them or not? Do they find making friends easy? Do they have personal struggles that may not get mentioned in the story itself, but do play a part in their characterisation? Do you they want the same things as other characters and if not, why not? All of these are questions that can be asked and not all of them will have answers, but the idea is to have a general idea about who they are as a person.

#3 - HOW HARD ARE THEIR VALUES?
I'm asking myself this because if they're the kind of person who stands by what they say and do, is there anything that would cause them to change that stance? And if there is, what is it and does it come into the story at all? If it's something that can only be reached by high stakes, do I want to put them in that position and see exactly how they react. A lot of the time, this is stuff that won't come up in the story itself, but will give me hints to their flaws and make up. It'll give me a starting point and allow me to move onto the next step.

#4 - WHAT'S THEIR BACKSTORY?
Here's where you get to do a lot more creating. It depends from writer to writer just how much detail you go into here. Personally I have run the gamut of doing a whole load to barely anything. It really just depends on both the character and their role in the story. For example, a main character is going to get a bigger workup than someone who's only in one chapter and doesn't play a bit part. It's of course, dealer's choice, because for some people this is where they really feel like they get to know the character well, and that's okay. I will put a caveat here about not going completely tragic for every character. While yes, there should, may, will, be some that have a very tragic backstory, it's not the case for everyone and it needs to make sense for both the individual character and their part in your story. Your mileage may, of course, vary.

AND FINALLY, #5 - DO THEIR FLAWS MATCH?
There's something to be said for this final one. In all my years of making characters, I've come across some in my own work, and in other works of fiction where I've felt like the flaws don't match the character themselves. Yes, they are a creation of the author, but you have to have things balanced out and matching. You need to make sure that you don't just pile on the flaws for the bad guy and leave the good one without any, or some that barely seem to matter in the grand scheme of things. So this final checkpoint is a way for me to go back over the other four points and make sure that I've not skipped a step along the way. It's saved me from some big mistakes in my writing.

So those are my five ways of working out character flaws. As I said, all characters have them to some degree and if yours don't, then you might need to start thinking about why, and how to change that. No one is perfect, and no character should be either. Good luck!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books