Struggles with the Past

Writing memories of stories told to me by my father is an almost

Mom's senior high school photo

easy delight. Experiencing those stories as if Dad himself were there beside me fills me with a warm satisfaction; those stories will not disappear when I do.

My last post on Susan Kane, Writer is a true to the images what Dad told me more than once. He always said that a good tale can be told over and over. This last post was one tale Dad told me which had me laughing each time, Gift, Freely Given.

My mother never told these detailed stories, ever. Instead, she talked with us as we worked with her. We would be washing dishes and she would have us laughing at some event from her youth.  A small event, like going to dances at her high school when she was sixteen, would have my sister and me in stitches.  

Mom in High School

Mom was vivacious. Mom loved people and they remembered her for her kindness and enthusiasm. Mom was born in 1928, part of the Greatest Generation. Mom grew up on a farm. Mom was a cheerleader and played the flute in HS. Mom did...

But there was no connection from one situation to one part to the next, just free-flowing.

Baby brother Donald with Mom and Dad, 1947

How do I weave those brief memories into a picture of who my mother was and how did those parts make her who she was?

As writers, what do you do with characters about whom you have to build around, to construct with pieces of understanding?  How honest do you have to be when this is a telling of someone like my mom? And keep the story true and solid?

How do I keep my voice accurate in trying portraying their voice?  Her voice.  Do I try to create a new persona for Mom?

Also, what do I do to be true to the character when their persona has flaws? In my Aunt Helen, her voice includes profanity.  In real life, Aunt Helen did not do this.  However, she held onto the anger of her growing-up years for her entire life. Her photos show that. So, I endowed her with inward profane dialogue. 

If I had that anger, what would I do to release it? What would you do with this way to express the character's anger?

So there you have it. And here I ask you: What do I do? What can I do? What would you do?

If this post leaves you confused, please check the post site in yellow above.

The Building of (a) Character

Characters in stories have to be as tangible and consistent as would a real person be:  believable, and evolving and growing as they face down life.  All those things.  The characters are defined by how they react to situations, the internal processing of events, the words that come out of their mouth, and the atmosphere in which they move.

It is not easy to create a character, unless the writer starts at the skeletal level.

As I write, I must first capture the general person in the physicality of their presence.

My mother with her mother, 1970

My mother was 5’6”, medium build, slim and muscular, and pretty.  She had hazel green eyes and brown hair.  She worked hard all her life and was determined, even stubborn.  This formed the baseline for “Louise”, the mother in my book, In Preacher’s Creek. 

With the physical baseline, Louise acquired characteristics, much like a jigsaw puzzle.  Since I am a veteran people watcher, I observed bits & pieces of a stranger’s personality, and mentally noted the ones I wanted Louise to have.  Over time, Louise incorporated those ‘pieces’. 

I wrote character sketches for each character for In Preacher’s Creek.  These 3,000-5,000 word ‘portraits’ helped me to define who the character was, what he would do or how would he react, all around a stressful time in the small town life. 

My mother with her fiance', my dad

Louise had to face the responsibilities of being a mother at age 19, running a house and working on the farm with her husband, and having more children rather quickly. 

Louise also had to fight for her son, Kent, when it is discovered that he is nearly blind at one year of age.  The time period, the 1950s, limited options for a child with physical or learning disabilities.  Louise will have to be ‘Warrior Momma’ for Kent all his life.  This is part of her character portrait, as it is part of Kent’s own character sketch.

There are constant litmus tests I run for each character, to keep consistency and remain founded in their character.  For Kent and Ellen Jo, one litmus test was:  “They came to the huge crack in front of Old Mr. Parson’s house.  It had grown even since they had moved to Preacher’s Creek.  Should they jump over it?  Should they stomp on it, even though the nursery rhyme says, Step on a crack, break your mother’s back?  Or, should they kneel down, find a sharp stick, and dig for bugs?”  

 True to their characters they will kneel down and scour for bugs and possibly treasures.  When Old Man Parsons yells, “Get outta here!”, they will take off like the devil himself was chasing them. When they get a block away, their weak bravado will allow Kent to yell something back. 

As for Louise, the phone will ring and she will hear Barb-the-telephone operator’s voice, who tells her what a neighbor heard Kent say.  When the children get home, Louise will respond to Kent’s actions consistently, according to the jig-saw pieces that have formed her. 

I know, I know.  Writing 3,000 words that will or may never be used for anything other than my own understanding seems like a waste of work.  For me, it puts the character firmly in my mind, a painting that moves, and keeps that person almost solid enough to touch.

That is what I want for each character.

 More about characters of In Preacher's Creek