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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

C-haracters

by Chautona Havig · 8 Comments

They define my writing.  I have often wondered about that.

You see, I can’t start a book without a title.  No, really, I can’t.  Even if I later change that title, without a strong, working title, I can’t start writing.  I freeze.  I have the words, they’re in my brain, I’m aching to send my fingers flying across the keys before I forget them, but… nope.  No title.  Must. Get. Title.

So, with that kind of obsession over a title (even though sometimes that title gets changed before publication), you’d think that I’d be obsessed with calling books by their titles, right?  Nope.  USUALLY, my books are known by one of the characters.  Noble Pursuits is “Grace” to me.  Manuscript for Murder is “Alexa” which gets interesting because so is Crime of Fashion.  Talk about confusing when talking about the books!

I talk about my characters as if they are real.  “Aggie would love that.”  “Man, Alexa would so wear that.”  “Hey, there’s William’s ‘Vette.”  (That was for you, Barb.)

So, I wonder… does that mean my books are character driven?  And, if my books are character driven, does that mean that the plots are pathetic?

Oh, and for fun, I thought I’d find a picture of what I think one of my characters look like.  So, meet Adric.  He’s going to be published soon.  This is what I think he looks like but…

  1. His hair is more silvery even than this
  2. His eyes are grayer
I bought the brother to this one for the cover. JBryson at Istockphoto.com is GREAT.

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Comments

  1. SharleneT says

    April 3, 2012 at 4:44 pm

    Hello, Fellow Challenger. I have to sharpen all my pencils, first. Now, mind you, I use a computer, but there’s something about a cup full of well-sharpened pencils that just gets me going. I can understand obsession. I’m #424 from Rockin’ Chair Reflections. Come visit when you can.

    Reply
    • Chautona says

      April 3, 2012 at 5:00 pm

      I am now channeling my inner “You’ve Got Mail” and murmuring with a glazed look in my eye, “Bouquets of sharpened pencils…”

      I’ll dash over to see you.

      Reply
  2. Fareeda Alhady says

    April 3, 2012 at 1:07 pm

    This is the second blog on ‘Character’ I’ve read today. Chautona, your insights are interesting. I want to write my family story, but I don’t have a title in mind. I’m banking on it emerging later – perhaps hitting me like a lightening bolt?
    PS: Would so love to own the real McCoy (comfy convenient couch) too…

    Reply
  3. Laura Barnes says

    April 3, 2012 at 10:52 am

    I can’t write without a title either. It is so much of what my books are about. Of course, if I ever get published, the publisher may change it just like that. Sigh.

    Reply
    • Chautona says

      April 3, 2012 at 11:43 am

      I’ve already changed titles… Argosy Junction was originally “Not as I Was” but hey. It was a valid title. It is nice to see someone else with my quirky “malady” regarding titles. Keep writing!

      Reply
  4. Andi-Roo (@theworld4realz) says

    April 3, 2012 at 10:47 am

    I’m not a published writer, so I don’t know that my opinion counts here, but I’m certainly an avid reader, so I’ll offer up my thoughts as the end-user. Books absolutely MUST be character driven when I’m working my way through a story — I have to forget they’re imaginary so I can imagine conversations with them. Of course, this won’t happen if the plot is weak; anyone who writes strong characters is going to have to learn quickly how to carry its people across the literary morass, or else risk leaving a gorgeously drawn, realistic person stranded in the dessert.

    Reply
  5. JENN says

    April 3, 2012 at 10:26 am

    ok your stories are NOT lame! they rock!
    are either Alexas available? i haven’t heard of those! i keep thinking with her name popping up in EVERY book, you’ve gotta have one about her sometime…
    that is not how i imagined Adric. how about a smiling one? maybe that will help me picture him better. do they have that guy smiling?

    Reply
    • Chautona says

      April 3, 2012 at 11:44 am

      I’m sure they do, Jenn. That’s why I avoid putting pictures on covers. I don’t like defining what someone looks like to the reader. We all have different ideas, and that’s what makes it COOL.

      None of the Alexas are ready. They’re not even in “rough draft” stage. Not really. Both have to be 100% rewritten. They’re that bad. However, they are also some of my favorites. They WILL be good. Someday.

      Reply

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Episode 164: A Chat with Christian Fantasy Author, Ernest Yip
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When I talked to Ernest Yip last month, I was crazy excited to learn about his fantasy novel, The Shattered King, an allegory about the attributes of God. Ernest talks about his inspiration, how he got started, and what’s coming next for us. I loved hearing more about the story and my copy is on its way to me now. EEEP! Listen in to learn more.

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In the tradition of Pilgrim’s Progress or the parables of Jesus, Ernest Yip brings us a story that introduces to a King like no other through the various attributes our main character meets through out the book. I love a good allegory, and listening to Ernest talk about his book had me choming at the bit to get started.

Though written for teens, The Shattered King is sure to appeal to anyone who loves fantasy and adventure. I especially love how it is a great introduction to who God is without being a heavy or preachy tome of apologetics. Instead, we’re taken on an adventure to discover it all for ourselves.

I can’t wait to see what Yip does next!

The Shattered King by Ernest Yip

Finding his way home means finding something else first—someone else.

When a dark force shatters the benevolent and mighty king Eloa, the land of Astrea lies broken and dying. Though Eloa lives, he is a shadow of his true self, unable to restore his kingdom unless he is reunited with the living Fragments of his being and made whole again.

Catapulted into this unfamiliar world and gifted with a magical sword, teenager Jax faces the ultimate test—finding the lost Fragments of Eloa. Only by fulfilling this quest will he be able to return home. But there are new forces in power, forces that will do whatever it takes to thwart Jax’s efforts and defeat Eloa.

But Jax will soon find that Eloa is no ordinary king, and neither are his Fragments—

A creator of living stone beings A father of orphans in a storm-filled land A desert warrior of limitless power

And they aren’t the only ones out there…

Encounter the Fragments of The Shattered King, a tale of danger and discovery that explores timeless truths about the world we live in, where justice and mercy are sometimes the most powerful weapons.

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