We all believe beautiful lies. American culture is filled with conflicting messages and powerful statements designed to make us feel something. And let's be honest: the "something" we feel isn't always right or healthy. We often become victims of advertising or toxic positivity.
We're all experts of replacing truth with lies when we really want something. Look hard enough, and we will find an article supporting our conclusions.
- Smoking increases risk of cancer (but I'll quit before it affects me)
- Eating too much junk food leads to health issues (but eating a salad once a week will fix it)
- Grudges lead to bitterness (but I can never forgive that person)
- Living paycheck to paycheck leaves no room for emergencies (but I can ignore that check engine light a little longer—I really want that new phone now!)
And this is me calling myself out:
- A packed work schedule leads to dwindling relationships (but my mom did and still does everything, so I need to keep up)
That last one is where we want to hover. Let it get more personal and specific. The broad statements and lies the majority tells themselves on a daily basis will make for bland characters. For example, this character believes...
- ...they'll never be good enough for their parents
- ...they won't get that job they want
- ...they have to change themselves to be worthy of love
While these statement are a good start, digging several levels deeper will get a character's foot out of the cliche pothole and send them hurtling into a unique pit. Our next question is "why?" Why do they believe these things? If the answers start feeling messy or offensive (or even too personal), they're on the right track.
- I'll never be good enough for my dad, president of his company
- I'm too bad at math to get that job I want
- I'm too wimpy/overweight/awkward to get my love interest
Getting closer. Let's go one level deeper with the "why."
- I sold the multimillion-dollar idea, surpassing my dad's deal, but he told me he helped spark my idea in the first place.
(See how we're getting closer to a character's real struggle? How will they grapple with this? Without more description, we can all guess their father is a narcissistic one-upper. Ouch.)
- I did everything right in the first two interviews, but my ex was on the last interview...and I'm pretty sure they told everyone what I did five years ago.
(Ohhh, now I really like this one. I came up with it on the fly, but we have two intriguing situations. A person who is qualified for the job they want but can't have, and a secret surrounding how their relationship ended.)
- Thanks to my mom's family traits—their freakishly wide hips, broad shoulders, and meaty thighs—I'll never shed my "Hulking Hilda" nickname from grade school.
(This has literary comedy, chick-lit, or even sci-fi potential. Will Hulking Hilda seek medical *or mad scientist* means to change her body, or will she find people who love her as is?)
And we could keep digging from there.
What is really driving that lie for your character? It began somewhere, most likely back in childhood. It could have started with a snide comment from a friend or family member—the kind that gets ingrained in a vivid memory for life—or maybe they could have witnessed something happen to someone else. The deeper it goes, the more complex and intriguing the character becomes. And, the more unique their journey will be.
Even using this method doesn't guarantee a unique plotline. I'm also a victim of the lie, "I'll never come up with a concept so original that it's worth publication." This is ridiculous, of course. People love tropes and retellings. I don't have to be 100% original, and if I'm truly honest, I can't. No one can. We are all inspired by something, and our subconscious stores everything we've ever read, seen, or heard. I know all this on the surface, but underneath I still wonder.
So, here comes the encouragement for every author out there who has ever felt this way. Keep at it through the struggles. We all have unique stories to tell. Let's tell them and let our characters flourish.
Keep on smilin'!
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