Writing Lead Ladies

WRITING LEADING LADIES BY KIRSTEN FULLMER

I’m often asked “How do you choose leading ladies for your novels?” I suppose the correct answer would be a combination of “They choose me” and “A lot of hard work”. Let’s break it down and sort out how to create a lead character, be that a woman, a man, or some creature that you, as an author, concoct.

I usually have a few ideas thumping around in mind when I create a character. Some of my leading ladies came from a problem I have been dealing with personally, as a vivid experience can prompt you to write. Book two of my Hometown Series, Hometown Girl After All, features Julia who is overcoming a life-threatening illness, because I too had been through such a trial and I wanted to write about it. But sometimes a leading character can spring from something as simple as a trendy topic, such as a decorating style like the junk gypsy movement.

Tara, in Hometown Girl at Heart, came about because I was into finding old furniture and reworking it. Once my garage was full of junk, I knew I needed to either buy a bigger house or live vicariously through my writing.

Once you have a character in mind, comes the fun of placing them into a setting. This is often the most telling part of the process because you get to decide how your character will respond to the other people and situations in the setting. Sometimes you get lucky and a character comes to life in your mind and respond to circumstances on their own. When this happens, all you have to do is type and try to keep up. But remember that people want to read about something beyond the mundane they experience every day.

It can be a trick to keep your character larger than life, yet relatable. This can be accomplished by leaving a chink in the character’s armor, some small fault or vulnerability with which your readers can sympathize.

Consider, for instance, the story of Scarlett O’hara, in Gone with the Wind, where a young woman of wealth and means is forced to face the loss of her home, her friends, her love interest, and her way of life, amidst war. Even though her situation is about as far removed from our everyday life as you can get, the vulnerability of her position, alone and scared, in over her head, angry and sometimes irrational, draws you into her plight.

Another important part of creating a stellar character is choosing a setting where the character can thrive. Or maybe a setting where they flounder, that part is up to you, but always chose a setting where your character can do their thing, even if their thing is searching for something different. Scarlet, for instance, is left to her own devises to survive and feed her rag-tag family, during and after the Civil War, but the problems your characters face need not to be life threatening, depending on your gene.

For example, in my novel Hometown Girl Forever, Lizzie is thrilled to have started over in a new place, ready to build her dream lifestyle, but problems from back home come to find her. In my novel Love on the Line, Andrea is trying a difficult new job, one where she’s the only woman on site. In book four of The Hometown series, Christmas in Smithville, Gloria is hoping to change the town’s opinion of her by convincing them that she’s changed.

Remember to create a setting for your character that is full of scenes in which they can develop throughout the story. Consider Scarlett whose story spans years, as well as multiple relationships and conditions as she rebuilds her life. The options are endless, as long as the setting offers the character room to grow.

Next, offer your lead character challenges to overcome that will give your story a beginning, a middle, and an end. Scarlett must root through the dirt for forgotten potatoes after escaping through a burning city, but your character’s trouble can be much more trivial, anything from money issues to family conflict, to geographical challenges, or political trouble. Just remember that your character’s personality, strengths, and weaknesses will be defined by how they overcome these challenges.

In Hometown Girl at Heart, Tara believes she is like her furniture; cast off junk under a polished exterior. She feels an affinity to her work because of this, but she has become a bit of a control freak in order to cope with her insecurities.

She has to learn to loosen up to move forward. In Love on the Line, Andrea has to find a way to do a good job and fit in where she’s not welcome. The joy of writing is that you can chose not only the character, but the setting, and the problems the character will face.

Lastly, give your character motivation, something they strive for. Scarlett’s driven to never fear for food and shelter, but even as she accomplishes that goal, she never stops longing for her lost love, Ashley Wilkes. Her pride and longing drive most, if not all, of her actions. In Love on the Line, Andrea, first and foremost, wishes to make her grandfather proud, even as she strives to find inner strength. In book five of The Hometown Series, Hometown Girl Again, Katherine is determined to build a glamping RV park. It doesn’t really matter what drives your character, as long as their desires are woven into the story and setting.

To wrap up, you can fashion an effective leading character by defining their passion and creating a great setting, then mix in some personality with a smidge of humility. Toss this character into a bit of trouble or personal angst, and you have the recipe for success!

Kirsten Fullmer’s charming romance novels have spent the last three years rising to the top of the Amazon best seller’s list in 12 countries. Find out more about Kirsten and her writing here.