I’m not talking about communication with my spirit guide today, although I do try to keep a good relationship going with her and Archangel Rafael on the healing front. No, today is the monthly Insecure Writers Support Group post, and IWSG Day, when we are meant to post a photo of ourselves with the IWSG logo or IWSG swag.
Sadly, my T-shirt fund has been spent on promo swag and medication, so I’m wearing an A to Z Challenge 2015 T-shirt today. But, I can attempt to answer this month’s question.
October 4th question – Have you ever slipped any of your personal information into your characters, either by accident or on purpose?
At first, my answer was, “I never did such an overt thing”. Except I have done and I still do, although it’s more a case of slipping in the odd trait that might be mine, or a comment or thought. So, not quite channelling. I have a habit of giving at least one of my characters in each novel an illness or health condition, such as diabetes – but not multiple sclerosis; although, I wrote two short stories with MS sufferers as the protagonists.
My current WIP, Fates Maelstrom does have a photo-journalist that is a POV character, and he has a momentary crisis over sexual identity; traits that I share with him as well as his ancestral links to the anti-slavery movement. However, he is a mixed-race American with his sights set on a Pulitzer.
Idea – I write him in First Person. But how do I handle his hidden secrets? Make him ‘unreliable’ with a memory problem, like The Joker?
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The awesome co-hosts for this October 4 posting of the IWSG are Olga Godim, Chemist Ken, Jennifer Hawes, and Tamara Narayan!
Purpose of IWSG: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer – aim for a dozen new people each time – and return comments. This group is all about connecting! Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post.
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG
Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.
Writing Wings 
Great looking t-shirt! Interesting to hear about some of the similarities between yourself and your character.
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Thanks, Ellen. Just a shame about my Pulitzer.
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I don’t think I’d make him unreliable with a memory problem. I think I’d make him very careful to avoid certain topics, but let other characters hint at them just enough to make him squirm. And I agree. It’s a great photo.
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Good suggestion, Reprobate. In a way, he already plays evasive so I might develop that – or keep to 3rd POV as he is not the main character.
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Not sure how you’ll pull of that point of view. I’ve never written in the first person.
The IWSG participated in the Challenge, so that’s really close!
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Ist POV is hard, Alex, you’re right. I attempted it in shorts and I struggled. Change of plan.
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I have that shirt and I wear it all the time. 🙂
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How much animal fur had yours got, Chrys? I now avoid black, normally, as it shows the pet fur.
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Great post. When I think of the phrase, write what you know, I interpret it as write who you know. It is hard for me not to include bits and pieces of me in my writing. Those are the things I feel I know best.
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As you rightly said in your post, fenster, the art is in the hiding. And that is a learning process.
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Nice looking shirt, Roland. You look dashing.
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You make me blush, Joylene, calling me dashing – twirls moustache. Disguising the wheelchair as a modernist armchair helps 😉
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Hm, he could just avoid the topics when he starts to think about them. I do that if I don’t want to think about something or get upset, for example. So there could be little tidbits left like a trail as he starts to think of his secrets, but he would then shut it down or get distracted.
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Thanks, Shannon. That might work, although I’m now wondering if using 1st person might make him the central character when he isn’t – the detective is meant to be the main protagonist. She is a 3rd person POV as I don’t feel writing her first for a number of reasons.
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Great picture!
If you did go with first person, I would just avoid the topics and not let him think on them. Maybe just a “Nope, not going there!”
Best of luck with your WIP!
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Thanks, Loni. Thinking of applying all the good advice to my ‘evasive’ character, but keep him 3rd.
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Snazzy T-shirt, Roland! 🙂
Is it possible to NOT include real-life elements in one’s fiction?
I’m sure there’s always an overlap of sorts…whether deliberate or accidental…
Good luck with Fates Maelstrom! Great title!
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Thanks, Michelle. Glad the title sounds great – now to get the novel to the same level. Maybe wearing the T-shirt will help.
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I have that shirt, too! It’s one of my favorites. You make it look good!
Thanks for participating!
Heather M. Gardner
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Thanks, Heather. I just wish the pet hair didn’t like it so much.
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I think it’s great that you try to include diverse characters in your stories, specifically folks with health issues. So many folks in RL battle with health issues in one form or another, and yet we rarely see those folks represented in stories. That’s beginning to change, but only just. Thanks for the post, and thanks for hopping over to my site. I look forward to reading more of your posts (not to mention your books). Happy writing to you.
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Including those diverse characters has been a natural progression of the novel, although it’s proving tough to get right. Glad that you are so encouraging, Kathy.
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I really need to get some IWSG swag. I’m thinking we are our own best characters and when we find too much of ourselves in our characters we start to disguise them. Good luck with the WIP.
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Finding a clever disguise is perhaps the trick, Doreen.
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