Sometimes in life we want to be memorable, right?
And other times? Not so much.
Shaun is so tall and formidable that he doesn’t have much choice in being memorable or not. Carrie? She can fade into walls if she wants to.
In writing, there are some pretty simple things you should do to make sure people remember your character.
MENTION THE ACTUAL CHARACTER A LOT
Talk about that character every 30-40 pages. People forget the characters they don’t see. This is true in real life too. Remind people you are out there.
Give them a cool name. Carrie Jones? Not a cool name.
GIVE.
Just give. In real life and in writing, giving matters. People remember kindness.
GIVE THEM SOMETHING THAT MAKES THEM STAND OUTPHYSICALLY AND INTRINSICALLY.
What do I mean by that? Give them something like a tattoo, a way of bending their foot to the side when they talk. Give them a strong personality trait. Do the work to make them memorable.
FOCUS.
In real life, it’s the people who focus on one goal, strategy, process who tend to make a big bang.
EMBRACE YOUR QUIRKINESS.
This is linked to that memorable trait. Being quirky might make you a bullied kid, which is basically hell, but when you’ve embraced that difference, your originality, your authenticity? That’s when people remember you.
If you’re in a room full of a dozen white guys in suits, none of them are going to pop out. It’s the woman in the flowing skirt that you’re going to end up remembering.
DOG TIP OF THE POD:
Barking is a good way to remind people that you exist even if you’re stuck in the house during a blizzard. They will still hear you if you bark!
Remind people that you’re out there. Silence isn’t memorable. It’s oppressive. Your voice deserves to be heard.
WRITING TIP OF THE CAST:
What makes your book characters memorable also makes you memorable. Don’t be afraid to be your authentic, original quirky self.
PLEA FOR HELP
Hey, um… if you enjoyed this podcast and post, we’d be so super grateful if you’d help it spread by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter or Facebook or Pinterest or subscribing to it on iTunes or Stitcher or rating it there or somewhere. Thank you! We know it’s a super small thing, but it means so much to us.
WRITING NEWS AND STUFF
I (Carrie) will be in Ontario Canada presenting this weekend and at Book Expo America, June 1, at 11:30 in the Lerner booth. Come visit!
THE CLASS AT THE WRITING BARN
The awesome 6-month-long Writing Barn class that they’ve let me be in charge of!? It’s happening again in July. Write! Submit! Support! is a pretty awesome class. It’s a bit like a mini MFA but way more supportive and way less money. There are more details at the link.
AND HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ACTUAL PODCAST.
