tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post9127824585040235344..comments2024-03-28T07:00:43.256-06:00Comments on Author Elana Johnson: Choices, ChoicesElana Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877856005992028912noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-24646601478570511632009-09-29T06:24:51.146-06:002009-09-29T06:24:51.146-06:00Absolutely!Absolutely!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05283503033516504436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-84340865456543595132009-09-28T23:20:54.871-06:002009-09-28T23:20:54.871-06:00Whoa, that's so deep. And my brain is mush ton...Whoa, that's so deep. And my brain is mush tonight. :D Great post and so thought provoking! No I need to go take some aspirin.B.J. Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10767654810069240472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-13000046239368407372009-09-28T23:15:09.656-06:002009-09-28T23:15:09.656-06:00I like your points about choices defining who we a...I like your points about choices defining who we are and in many ways, the characters we write about. For me, hobbies come and go but passions (like writing and chocolate) are daily plunges I take and enjoy the anticipation, the thrill each time.*https://www.blogger.com/profile/06484208765656281917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-76824604926010121822009-09-28T15:46:29.798-06:002009-09-28T15:46:29.798-06:00Who I am changes with the season of my life. The o...Who I am changes with the season of my life. The only consistency has been my penchant for writing my thoughts on paper.Elizabeth Bradleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03150221675618198674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-53282870096908551242009-09-28T14:26:58.869-06:002009-09-28T14:26:58.869-06:00"Be vs. do" is always an interesting bal..."Be vs. do" is always an interesting balance. I love to travel, but am I a traveler? Not sure. A writer, definitely-- you don't spend 40+ years doing something without having it ingrained in your soul. <br /><br />The real question may be, "Which comes first, the 'be' or the 'do'"? They often end up mingled. Either way, it was a thought-provoking post. Thanks for sharing!Janice Campbell of NAIWEhttp://naiwe.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-85906209477219703122009-09-28T14:05:24.713-06:002009-09-28T14:05:24.713-06:00Great post! I've just been thinking about a po...Great post! I've just been thinking about a post on character consistency, which really comes down to why they act they way they do, and knowing the reasons.<br /><br />I also think it's interesting to see what and how people write. Their plots, their characters, I think they say a lot about the writer herself.Jessica Nelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12365768876905444157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-16518445968820169102009-09-28T14:01:59.621-06:002009-09-28T14:01:59.621-06:00Oh, I want to be a writer!!! I want it to define w...Oh, I want to be a writer!!! I want it to define who I am. It's the only job I love enough to actually want that to happen.lisa and laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18144863275895761642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-64983161558951270452009-09-28T14:00:31.751-06:002009-09-28T14:00:31.751-06:00My husband and I were just talking about this over...My husband and I were just talking about this over the weekend. He doesn't want to let his job define who he is, but to make choices outside of work that define him as a person.<br /><br />Sometimes it's harder than it sounds.Sherrie Petersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11670339498152684137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-81195351111041750142009-09-28T12:59:34.919-06:002009-09-28T12:59:34.919-06:00I agree. You're "rockin' awesome.&quo...I agree. You're "rockin' awesome."<br /><br />Let's break this down. I like to drive fast. As a result, rules of the road are broken. That doesn't make me a reckless speeder with a penchant for anarchy, right?<br /><br />Great blog as always.<br /><br />hhsHilabeanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15503151421758981943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-57788394788995602322009-09-28T12:48:05.098-06:002009-09-28T12:48:05.098-06:00Elana, you are all shades of wonderful! This is an...Elana, you are all shades of wonderful! This is an amazing post! Definitely choices we make define who we are. I love the point you made about writing--that it's not who you are, but that it allows you to discover who you are. Wow on so many levels!<br /><br />I'm an evil author that enjoys making my characters make really hard choices. I think that the struggle that ensues draws me closer to them, whether they're mine or someone elses. :D Awesome post!Danyelle L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10366276085080565870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-28355958409175873592009-09-28T12:24:29.725-06:002009-09-28T12:24:29.725-06:00Excellent, thought provoking post.
I believe tha...Excellent, thought provoking post. <br /><br />I believe that all people are faceted and that those facets can become ingrained behavior (through choice, of course). Writing is a part of who I am because, at this point, it's difficult for it not to pervade every area of my life. However, an equestrian is also who I am. Having ridden horses for all of my life (including time in the womb), I feel a deep kinship and oneness with them. Just another facet. It's not all of me, but a side of me.<br /><br />As for choice and action in characters--ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL. At UVU, Jeff Savage talked about creating character bibles as a method of tracking this very behavior. Is your character acting in the manner of their true nature and do all of their actions indicate those deep seated motivations? That's something I'm trying to pay close attention to in my own work.<br /><br />Heck, is this long enough? Says a lot about your post's intensity, huh?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-84082815713659655862009-09-28T12:21:01.079-06:002009-09-28T12:21:01.079-06:00I agree with you about the questions, particularly...I agree with you about the questions, particularly number three. That's something I am learning more and more as I dive into queries and synopses and manuscripts. Who are the characters and why do they do what they do? Their motivations need to help drive the story and at the same time it will help draw readers to the characters.Cindy R. Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13488732331021750408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-23964007314421755732009-09-28T11:06:06.739-06:002009-09-28T11:06:06.739-06:00I think you're rockin' awesome. That's...I think you're rockin' awesome. That's what I think.<br /><br />I whole-heartedly agree. And as an aside, I see synchronicity working in my life right now as your blog totally backs up what I just read in an ANWA newsletter. <br /><br />Anyhooo ... I also think that a hobby (like writing, or singing) can become so embedded in a personality that it begins to be less of what they DO and more of WHO THEY ARE.<br /><br />For instance, when a writer becomes so in sync with their craft that every action the writer performs in their regular life becomes fodder for what they DO. Like on Saturday I went to The Killers in concert. I found I spent far more of my time watching the other people around me, observing them, noting them, considering how they might be used in my story. Then the hobby, or thing that I DO became more of WHO I am because there was effectively no distinction between Ali the writer and Ali. KWIM?ali crosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13023009704454279645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-8692826389388080492009-09-28T09:40:16.054-06:002009-09-28T09:40:16.054-06:00This post helps me feel vindicated that maybe I...This post helps me feel vindicated that maybe I'm not just spewing out crap in my first draft right now, haha. I just had two very similar characters have two very different reactions to a proferred handshake, and it's aaaaaaall about who they are.L. T. Hosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12448176940211118898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-17696450225321117732009-09-28T09:01:07.233-06:002009-09-28T09:01:07.233-06:00Okay, seriously George, you're all full of ins...Okay, seriously George, you're all full of insightfulness lately.<br /><br />Those are great questions to ask about yourself & your characters. But I ultimately think there is a level of the chicken or the egg here and we all have choices.<br /><br />Do you act mean because you are mean or are you mean because you act mean?<br /><br />We could totally talk this to death and still be running in circles... <br /><br />Thanks for the insightful questions, though!<br /><br />P.S. My husband still talks about buts eating other buts.Windyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07684298115679477705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-59887986951371283002009-09-28T08:40:56.305-06:002009-09-28T08:40:56.305-06:00Lately I've been thinking about what our chara...Lately I've been thinking about what our characters don't do and don't say and how that can be revealing as well. You know, what are they hiding?Tesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10014195715998913268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-71156838792201940072009-09-28T08:39:23.359-06:002009-09-28T08:39:23.359-06:00Thanks, Elana, for reminding us to dig a little de...Thanks, Elana, for reminding us to dig a little deeper for characterization. We are the choices we make, that's what my old daddy always says. Our actions speak for us real human beings, and the same should go for fictional characters. <br /><br />And we as real humans could always use a reminder that people perceive us based on our actions, even when our actions are out of character. A good lesson to remember next time I feel like taking out my frustrations on someone innocent.Tere Kirklandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13562750950130316280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-31047829486013225952009-09-28T08:39:03.940-06:002009-09-28T08:39:03.940-06:00Your post is insightful as always. We can get laz...Your post is insightful as always. We can get lazy and simply *list hobbies* as a shortcut to describing and building character. On the other hand, there may be hobbies sufficiently unique that say something powerful about a character. For example, I once met a woman who collected exotic marbles. She built a social life around collecting them and went to conferences to meet other people who collected exotic marbles. Decades later, I can still see her across the dining table from me, but can’t remember her name. I still remember her, though, as the lady who collected exotic marbles.Judith Mercadohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13739476600999112092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-79590111273917568722009-09-28T08:17:35.382-06:002009-09-28T08:17:35.382-06:00Our choices define us, just as the choices our cha...Our choices define us, just as the choices our characters make define them.<br /><br />Every action has a reaction (and/or consequence) whether we (or our characters) realize that at the time of the choice. I always try to play out the reprecussions of each action as I write, and often have the characters struggling with the ultimate choice, knowing it's not so simple as just choosing to do this one thing, because that one thing has the potential of affecting other characters.<br /><br />I love to write, so, therefore, I'm a writer. I also love to cook, so, therefore I'm a cook. I'm definitely not a chef. Writing and cooking are just two aspects of my life, but neither truly define me, they're just some of what defines me as a person.<br /><br />So, writer, cook, snarky individual, margarita drinker, animal lover, soapbox ranter . . . and so many other things are what truly define me. Not. Just. One. Thing!Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06905515473737579937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-22079163435540899712009-09-28T08:16:28.195-06:002009-09-28T08:16:28.195-06:00Nice post, Elana! I often try to come up with a la...Nice post, Elana! I often try to come up with a laundry list of descriptions and interests of my characters, in an effort to know them better, but that's not really telling me much about them after all. I will try to keep the real questions and motivations in mind.Annie Loudenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13008836459417708235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-52752949506854564072009-09-28T08:16:07.242-06:002009-09-28T08:16:07.242-06:00I agree we should expound from our own tough exper...I agree we should expound from our own tough experiences and bring those passionate details into our work.Tanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10518718614911804428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-59198514447572784132009-09-28T08:08:33.969-06:002009-09-28T08:08:33.969-06:00I love this post. I'm at a climactic scene in ...I love this post. I'm at a climactic scene in my wip right now and one character's reasons for doing everything will be laid out on the table. I'm still figuring out what exactly those reasons <i>are</i> (first draft and all...) and this post gave me some ideas. Thanks!Melanie Hooyengahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08781235493983907234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-82706395504968914802009-09-28T08:04:28.265-06:002009-09-28T08:04:28.265-06:00This is an excellent addition to the show vs. tell...This is an excellent addition to the show vs. tell information out there on the web. I think I tend to consider show v. tell when describing scenes and background information, but certainly I need to apply it more to characters, particular inasmuch as their choices.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11431700962951592287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-3397825883750950192009-09-28T08:01:24.311-06:002009-09-28T08:01:24.311-06:00I agree that our choices define who we are, and wi...I agree that our choices define who we are, and with a little perseverance we can all become whoever we want to be, at least on some level. But I think that we all have certain qualities that come naturally that others may have to struggle with or consciously choose to put forth, and of course that's the same in the reverse. <br /><br />For example, Linda Lou over here may have no problem dealing with rejection and take it with grace and um, some other word that goes with grace. My brain's broken this morning. And then Mary Lou over there may take that same rejection and turn into a raving lunatic for a bit before she consciously chooses to accept it for what it is and maybe uses it to make her writing better or something else productive.<br /><br />Am I making any sense? It's way too early on a Monday morning to be getting all deep and philisophical. <br /><br />Great post! :) And I agree with Christine, you are a writer, whether you're willing to claim it or not. ;)Abby Annishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05543937393055900844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-4878172602503246432009-09-28T07:37:35.264-06:002009-09-28T07:37:35.264-06:00I think we are definitely a product of the choices...I think we are definitely a product of the choices we've made. And I hate to break it to you, but *whispers and ducks*...in my opinion, you are a writer.Christine Fonsecahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16986034666903054819noreply@blogger.com