Para bang nakipaghalikan ka ng five seconds sa isang Dementor—sinipsip ng walang pakundangan ang iyong kaligayahan, pag-asa, at tiwala sa sarili. Parang ayaw mo nang humarap sa Microsoft Word ulit.
Pero kung nais mo talagang maging writer ng PHR, kung gusto mong mai-published ang kuwento mo at makita ang "pen name" mo sa pabalat ng libro, haharapin mo ng buong tapang ang karimarimarim na pakiramdam na `yon.
Alam mo ba ang kasabihang "`pag gusto may paraan, `pag ayaw maraming dahilan"? Isa `yon sa mga motto ko. It's either you want something or you don't. But never think or say that YOU CAN'T.
At least, until you tried your very, very best.
Kaya kahit kapos ang aking kaalaman, susubukan kong magbigay ng writing tips—the ones I follow. Baka sakaling makatulong sa mga nahihirapan sa mga manuscript na isinusulat nila o para magka-ideya sa kung ano ba ang hinahanap ng PHR sa isang nobela. I think.
Again, the tips here are only based on my personal experience. Hindi assurance na makakapasa sa standard ng PHR kapag ginawa ninyo. But you'll have a fighting chance and you can create and improve your own "standards" for your manuscripts.
Just take in what you think works for you. I'll start with characters first. Sa ibang blog post na siguro ang plots, conflict, etc., so if may question kayo or gustong malaman, comment lang kayo dito or sa FB page ni Olivette PHR. :)
CHARACTERS
HERO and HEROINE NAMES
- EASY TO READ NAMES. Okay ang mga kakaibang names, pero kung may nickname naman ang characters, iyon na lang ang ginagamit ko.
- TAN (Tanner) / SIN (Sindy). Yeah. I was mocking myself `cause I suck at Trigonometry. XD
- NAMES THAT COMPLIMENT THE CHARACTER'S PERSONALITY. Based on feeling lang `to.Kung gagamit lang din ako ng kakaibang name, I make sure na swak sa personality ng character.
- GEORGIANA. Parang medyo sopistikada ang dating, angkop sa mga babaeng may magandang family background. And then there's her nickname, G, which suited her "other" personality. (read her story :D )
- THUNDER. On a whim lang `to. But the personality suited the name, so... *shrugs*
- SURNAMES. Of course. They're humans and it adds to a character's personality. It's also helpful when establishing the kind and caliber of family they come from.
- ARAGON. It sounded powerful. Even if the Aragons are not the CEO types (they're mostly "mechanics"), I wanted the readers to know that the family had a position in high society.
- BARRAMEDA. Another powerful sounding name. Something that would be nice in a series... *winks*
FACTS: I rarely mention the main characters' names, aside from introductions or unless:
DEVELOPING CHARACTERS
- beginning ng scene transition (iyong paragraph na capitalized ang first word/phrase, remember?), to distinguish who's "talking" at the moment (whose POV is it?);
- someone needs to get the character's attention;
- I want the hero or heroine to mention each other's names (for intimate effect, etc.). Para hindi nakakauta (for me) na laging nand'on names nila.
This is like a checklist of the things I consider when making the main characters. Subject to changes. :D
HEROINE
- BASIC INFO. I have an Excel file where I put their full name, age, and family members. It also serves as a timeline, especially now that I'm writing stories that happened simultaneously. Or some years before or after. It also contains names of secondary characters, establishments, and settings. Mahirap mag-track kapag wala kang list, lalo na kung puro sequel ang ginagawa mo. For her hobbies and habits, I jot down notes, but I also plan to insert them in the excel file when I find time.
- EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT. Gusto ko ng heroines na nakapag-aral. It doesn't have to be in school, but I want them to be learned individuals. Like in the novels of my favorite authors, the women are well-read and quite self-sufficient. Sa ngayon, ganon ang mga bidang babae na naisusulat ko. Hindi pa kasi lumilitaw ang opportunity na makapagsulat ako ng heroine na mula sa wala, sort of mala-telenovela, pero kung may pagkakataon, bakit hindi?
- DREAMS. I want my heroines to be ambitious, in the sense that they won't compromise their dream. Even if they are from a poor family or desperate situation, I want them to be fighters. I don't want them to pity themselves because they are lacking financially. Or at least, I want them to try to fight their poverty. Natatakot kasi ako na masyadong umikot ang plot sa pagsisikap niyang makaahon sa kahirapan. Medyo gasgas na. Mas gusto kong tumalakay ng ibang bagay tungkol sa heroine if possible.
- FEARS/INSECURITIES. Something that would make my heroine hold back. Something she will fight against because she wants the hero's love. Mas praning, mas okay. Mas lumalabas ang insecurities ng babaeng umiibig. Mas nagiging komplikado at mahirap ang mga desisyon niya. And that gives me an opportunity to get deeper into my characters. To know how she will react. To know what she wants to do.
- CELINE HERRERA. Fear to love again.
- SINDY SOLOMON. Fear to love again.
- GEORGIANA ALDER. Fear of getting stuck in a life she didn't choose.
- CONFIDANT. Doesn't have to be a best friend, but someone who can help the heroine voice out her thoughts, especially at times when she and the hero doesn't have a scene and dialogue together. Puwede ding wala, kung loner o detached sa family o society ang heroine or kung madalas naman ang eksena nila ni hero.
- CAN LIVE WITHOUT A MAN. Yep. Keri nila kahit walang love life. But of course, they get infected by love, kasi romance nga, `di ba? Pero ayokong doon lang umiinog ang mundo nila. They can still stand on their own. If the hero leaves them, it's that man's loss. :) But in case he hurt her, I'll make sure he'll go through hell and back before she forgives him. XD
- TO FOLLOW `PAG MAY NAISIP PA `KO :D
FACTS: Love is not everything for my characters, but it's definitely the most special. ;)HERO
- BASIC INFO. Same as the heroine.
- EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT. Same as the heroine or greater. Mas pinag-i-Ingles ko kasi ang mokong. Kapag sinisipag, ginagawan ko siya ng curriculum-vitae-slash-slambook na sarili niya.
- DREAMS. It's important for my hero to be somewhat successful the moment he's thrown together with the heroine. He doesn't need to be a CEO or a model, I just want him to be responsible and hard working and somewhat two digits richer than the heroine from at least half of the story until the end. Mas kailangan kong pag-isipan ang career niya kaysa sa heroine. Mas kailangan kong i-research, lalo na kapag above normal-guy level siya. I want him to look secure and powerful and tough on the outside, but on the inside, he's missing something. But I also like making gentle and simple heroes (Tanner).
- FEARS/INSECURITIES. I always like to show the hero's weakness to the heroine when I can. I want to make him cry when I can (fans of Thunder Aragon, forgive me). Gusto ko siyang mawindang, mainis, ma-imbiyerna sa buhay dahil sa bidang babae. And I want him to do anything to get the woman he loved. But not too much. Dapat may pride pa rin siya. Dapat may independence pa din. Kung sino sa kanila ni heroine ang bibigay at makikipag-reconcile, usually saka ko na nalalaman. Pero madalas, siya ang humahabol siyempre. :D
- CONFIDANT. Madalas kapag may POV lang siya. Pag nakatuwaan ko lang na bigyan siya ng convo with a friend.
- CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT
A WOMANTHE HEROINE. Yeah, I know it's unfair, but that's my romance. And I did him a favor by introducing the heroine, right? Magre-reklamo pa ba siya? :D - HOTNESS METER. My hero should be HOT AT ALL COSTS. If there's one thing I make him excel, it's seduction. He can drive the heroine's hormones wild as much as he wants. And if he gets lucky... :D
FACTS: I haven't made a playboy/bad boy yet. YET.CHARACTER "GMC"
Parang nag-share na ako dati ng site about giving a character a goal, motivation, and conflict. Check out the article HERE. (all hail bookmarks!)
According to this, the character, the heroine in our case, should have a GOAL, MOTIVATION, and CONFLICT. It should be both INTERNAL and EXTERNAL.
GOAL is what the character wants to achieve/avoid. INTERNALLY, it's about herself. EXTERNALLY, it's what she will be doing in the story.
Example:
INTERNAL GOAL: Celine wants to avoid what her parents want for her.
EXTERNAL GOAL: Celine wants to be a fashion designer.
MOTIVATION is her reason why.
Example:
INTERNAL MOTIVATION: Celine wants to be happy by doing what she loves.
EXTERNAL MOTIVATION: Celine wants her parents to support her in her dream.
CONFLICT is the thorn in her path.
Example:
INTERNAL CONFLICT: Celine's afraid that her parents will get angry at her if she insists on what she wants.
EXTERNAL CONFLICT: Celine's chances of winning are slim.
(Celine is the heroine of my first novel, "Ready To Love Again")
You'll notice that the goal is not "to make the hero fall in love with me". It's a given that she'll fall in love, as long as the hero is involved in her life, in what she's doing.
The important thing is that the character moves towards her ending, while facing her problems along the way...
***
Even if you aren't the "plotting" type, you should always check if you're characters are in shape. Make a simple bio data. Test your GMC. Check if they're consistent to the roles they're portraying, if they're boring, or if they're too enthusiastic.
How would you know?
Talent? Experience (through novels you've read)? Both? It's up to you to know what you've got.
I believe writers have the ability to discern what should be or shouldn't be in their manuscript. As they read and write more, they are able to develop this skill.
They gain clarity. They gain the ability to grasp what the readers might like or not. They find out their "specialty". Maybe, their purpose.
Kapag maayos ang characters mo, mas makakagawa ka ng eksenang angkop sa flow ng kuwento. May guide ka, may magdidikta sa `yo sa mga klase ng problemang puwede mong ibato sa bida mo.
At siyempre, makakaisip ka ng mas magagandang solusyon sa problema mo.
Something unexpected. Something that will surprise the readers.
Next up... Plots? Plots that I avoid, plots that I love,hard plots, easy plots...
We'll see. :D
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