Character or Story: The Making of a YA Novel

by SarahBeth Carter

 

I've recently had my taste in movies called into question. This led me to dissect my movie preferences to try to define why I like what I like. It's more difficult than you'd imagine! The result (after much thought, mental arguing, and talking to myself) was that I now know that I am obsessed with people.

I don't get obsessed with story lines near as much as I get attached to great characters. And they're not always likable. I love characters that are honest depictions. I love characters that are so real that I feel like I know them. I love characters that are so normal that when they do "normal" things it doesn't seem ridiculous. I love characters that are ordinary in every way except one (this is my explanation for my obsession with all movies "superhero"). I love to see ordinary people act extraordinary when the situation demands it and I believe this is a reflection of real life. (That last is an argument for my husband; apparently he doesn't think ordinary people are capable of acting extraordinary. This is his definition of unrealistic. I find that line of reasoning depressing and sad. But we've agreed to disagree).

I'm not saying that I don't love a good story. But ever since I started thinking about this I've realized how much it changes my perspective on things. If someone I know is relating an event in their life instead of finding myself asking questions along the lines of, "What happened next?" I find myself asking questions like, "How did you feel? Were you terrified?"

Some will question my sanity, but to those I say...it's been done and will be done again so feel free! I think characters are more important to a good movie than a good story. And I'll go so far as to take that same theory and say that it can be applied directly to books; at least that's a quality I find in my favorite books. And it’s the method behind my madness when it comes to writing.

 

The initial idea for my upcoming YA fiction release, Meeting Lizzy, came while I was driving home from a late night class on a deserted freeway in the rain. It wasn’t a quick, barely there sprinkling typical of Arizona, but one of the rare, but intense downpours that always happen as soon as the sun has dried out and cracked your windshield wipers so visibility is pretty low. I remember the frequent overpasses blocked out the rain intermittently supplying me with bursts of silence amidst the sound of the pelting rain.

 

Realizing my radio wasn’t on I tuned it in to one of my favorite stations and caught the end of a feisty, intense song about finding a reason to change who you are. When it was over I switched channels and ran into another song that happened to be right in the middle of a verse I recognized telling the story of someone who wanted to step in to help a stranger. That’s all it took. The mixture of feelings created a character in my head. I immediately placed that character in an intense scenario and I pondered just what he would do all the way home. I started writing that night. The very beginning of the story told in Meeting Lizzy is the character I envisioned in the very same scenario I had originally placed him in; it’s intense, often uncomfortable, sometimes funny, and very honest.

 

Writing to me is capturing the essence of people on paper. What do they feel? What do they do? And why do they feel and do these things? I theorize that honest, believable characters carry the story and I hope you’ll be able to see exactly what I mean when you pick up Meeting Lizzy this September and meet Cy and Lizzy yourself!

 

SarahBeth Carter is the YA author of the recently released, Meeting Lizzy. The novel has been met with excitement from early readers, verbal applause from assorted YA librarians and much anticipation on the part of the author and the publisher! For more information on the book, check out the sneak peek at www.larryjohnwrightpublishing.com and for use of any of the author's articles contact her directly at: sbeth10@gmail.com.