zen of relaxation

I'm one of those people who when they get stressed they stop writing. And as some of you know, I've been really stressed lately. This does not bode well for the writing career.

One of the reasons I have trouble writing while under stress is b/c I forget my words. On a good day, one that is relaxing, I have to try hard to get the right words to come out. For instance, in high school, the youth minister at church gave a lesson on learning which spiritual gifts we have. Take a little test and poof, you learn your spiritual gift. Mine was exhortation. I ran out to tell my parents that I had the spiritual gift of extortion.

The youth minister still laughs over that one.

And that was before I got stressed.

It's much worse now, so much so that I have to really take time to put down the correct words on paper. And as my critique partners, you know that doesn't always happen.

So, I've been under stress, and not very productive. But this week I had off work since my 13 year old step-cousin was down visiting the Hubster and me this week. We ran all over the place touring. Today we went to the Japanese Gardens located in the Botanical Gardens in Fort Worth. It was incredibly relaxing. Just watching the fish and waterfalls, listening to the bamboo stalks rattle in the wind, seeing The Kid throw fish food to the turtles brought me to a peaceful place I'd been missing for some time.

Even if my brain was flat-lining in the heat.

Now I didn't come up with any new ideas for my story (see the above paragraph regarding heat drained brain) but I did manage to relax like I haven't been able to lately.

So here's the plug for the Botanical Gardens and the Japanese Gardens. It's very relaxing and peaceful. Check out the Zen Garden and wonder how they managed to get all those little lines around the rocks without crossing each other. See the huge magnolia tree and the 200 year old hollowed out pecan tree that you can stick The Kid into (it's recommended not to leave them in the tree). Smell the roses (watch out for bees!), listen to the water fountains and commune with nature.

Where is your relaxing place?

Plot, Plot - Bo Blop

I'm one of those people who lives life flying by the seat of my pants. I don't organize. I don't plan. I wake up not having a clue what I am going to wear that day or if I plan to blow dry my hair. Everyday at work is a struggle to find that note I made on that sticky that one time that guy was in my office. And I think I truly have A.D.D.

This is just how I roll. It's been like this since I was a kid, so for me it's all perfectly normal.

It's also how I write. I have no idea where I am going and I'm usually as surprised as the characters at how a scene plays out. It works okay for me but sometimes I wish I was more of a plotter, more of an organizer. I usually have a cheat sheet of some sort, sometimes on the laptop, sometimes in an old notebook, with names, birthdays, plot points (noted AFTER they happened) and character traits.

And that's it.

This last WIP has a subplot from hell and I have found HUGE GAPING holes in my write-while-I-go method of creation. I'm not taking enough notes and proofreading is frustrating when I remember something I shouldn't have forgot - which makes planning kinda appealing to a girl who doesn't truly understand the meaning of the word.

The problem with actually trying to plot BEFORE I write (like on paper and not just in my head)is it really takes the fun out of it for me. I love not knowing what's going to happen. I love that I don't know exactly how it's going to end. It's kind of a rush to find the last page at the same time as the characters.

I'm trying to incorporate small things, trying to find a system that reaches some sort of compromise between the two worlds. So, I'm wondering what about you guys? Do you plot? Do you know what the ending is before you ever begin? How do you keep track of all the little details that work together to create the piece?

Possession

WARNING: All material contained herein has nothing to do with writing. Unless you as a writer wish to use this material for your upcoming story, in which case you need to ask permission. Not like I care, but because it's the polite thing to do.

Okay, now that the warning is out of the way.

As mentioned this has nothing to do with writing. It's just a very odd experience I had so of course I had to share.

I try to walk my dogs at night, around 8-8:30 after the sun sets, but before it gets dark. There is a trail that snakes around the outskirts of the neighborhood and I like to walk them on it especially since the trail is beside a creek and at that time of the day the frogs/toads are chirping/croaking and it's soothing and relaxing. In case you are worried about my safety, let me just say that I walk with Jaws and Hell Hound so most people give us a wide berth.

So here we were, trotting along, listening to the frogs do the song thing, relaxing in our own little world when I notice someone walking from the opposite way. My main concern was that the person had no dog as J & HH think small dogs are edible substances and create minor problems (as in where's the Dog Whisperer when you need him?).

Luckily the person coming toward us had no dog. He also had no shoes. None. Nowhere. Just out walking the trail with no shoes.

That wasn't the weirdest thing.

You know when you pass people, they might be in their own little world, or they might be shy or rude or friendly, but they either glance your way or in some way acknowledge you, right? This guy did nothing. He didn't look at me, glance, or otherwise seem to notice we were even there. And he gave off this aura/energy of .... evil. As in the demon-has-possessed-my-body type of evil. At first I thought about saying hi, being the friendly person that I am, but one glance at him made me decide friendly was not a good thing.

Now he looked normal, but that energy/aura about him was definitely NOT normal. I've never felt anything like that and it creeped me out. My first thought was, this kid's possessed, followed by maybe he's a ghost.

Even J&HH didn't seem to notice him and they notice everything that passes that close.

Needless to say, I did the hustle right off that trail. Completely freaked me out. I expected the kid to turn around or have his head spin and a creepy voice say something scary.

I still have the tingles. Has anyone else had weird experiences like this?

Next week I'll try to write on writing. :)

The big ........beige moment?

I think that’s supposed to be black. We’ve all heard about the ‘Big Black Moment.’ The moment when something so heartbreaking or devastating happens that the hero and heroine are ripped apart and we wonder how will they overcome these terrible odds?

But haven’t you read books where the ‘black moment’ was really more……charcoal or even just a dull brown? I know I’ve read stuff where the moment is described, at best, as a murky beige. And that’s such a let down because we need that emotional turning point and then the satisfying ending. Otherwise why spend the time to read 300 pages?

And how do those books even get published? What editor looked at that manuscript and said, “Oh wow, when Henry Hunk stepped into that blow-up kiddie pool and realized he didn’t know how to swim I was devastated! How would they overcome this?”

Ok, so they probably aren’t that inane, but some are close enough.

I’ve been looking through my WIP and realized that my black moment isn’t even beige, it’s hiding! Lucy, you got some ‘splainin’ to do!

It’s hard to beat up our characters and make their lives hell, because, hey, we like these people. We like them better than some of our family members. Most of our family members.

But if we don’t put them through some sort of horrible BLACK moment then…..boooorring.

So get out those spear guns and cross bows and get those characters in your sights for some serious pain and anguish! Throw everything you’ve got at them, and when they’re down, kick ‘em again. Make that black moment pitch black.

What are some of your favorite black moments?

Contests... Part Two

Today I received score sheets from the contest I entered a few months ago. They couldn't have come at a better time. Lately I've been in a bit of a slump, convinced that everything I write is complete crap. It took me twenty minutes to get the nerve to hit the download button and view my scores.

Once I did, I got a pleasant surprise. While the pages themselves were loaded with comments and suggestions for improvement, the scores were mostly fours and fives (out of five). Both authors were published and said they would buy the book.

What an ego boost! But that's not the point of this post. In an earlier blog, I'd wondered if contests were really worth it. I have to say without a shadow of a doubt,the Lauries contest of the Smoky Mountain Romance Chapter is one not to miss. The judges fill out detailed score sheets and I ended up getting two very detailed critiques. Both judges spent a great deal of time on my entry and for that I'm very appreciative.

So will I enter a contest again? You bet. But I plan to enter only those that give good feedback. Someday, when I feel a little more confident in my critiquing skills, I'll judge a contest and return the favor.

Until then, I've got some revisions to make.

uh, i forgot?

have you ever forgotten your characters' names? i don't mean the H & H. i mean subcharacters (but i suppose it could happen to the stars too). well, it happened to me this weekend. so, i think i'm not only going to have to keep a legend of my chapters, but a list of character names.

no, i'm not writing a story about a carnival or anything. but, i am heavier on subplot; thus, more subcharacters to keep track of. i wish they could wear name tags. hmm, maybe i could make paper dolls of them? OMG - then i could totally act out the scenes. wait a minute - BEST IDEA EVER! i totally have all my barbies from when i was little. oh yes, i am about to start playing romance. i think i should copyright that idea because it's so awesome.

i am not even joking.

so, names. have you ever changed a character name like halfway through your story? that also happened to me this weekend. there's this one subchick who makes an early appearance, and a man who makes a later appearance, and their names are too similar ... so i decided to change the chick's name. yet, now i find myself still liking the chick's writer-given name and don't like her new substitute name, so, is it bad to have two similar names in a story? i mean they both start with the same letter and end in the same consonant. i had advice from a PAN one time that said not to even begin two different names in the same story with the same letter. i don't know that i agree with that, but i try to be more conscious of it when naming my characters.

i mean, like if i had ethan and nathan, that would be confusing. and if i had casey and cassie, that would be lyrical, but still confusing. and if i had morgan and logan - see, the ending part is too similar.

to prove how sometimes we just need to talk these things through with each other, i think i just came up with another solution. i'm going to give the chick a nickname made out of her original, writer-given name.

whew.

so, since i figured it out, i'd like to know if anyone else OCDs over little details like this. come on, put on your name tag and step forward. there will be no spanking this time. unless you request that offline.

OMG! Unlce Jesse Had A Mullet?!

Okay, so that wasn't going to be my title. It was going to be something clever making reference to how bad hair sometimes means good things (no need to comment on that oxymoron) BUT when I Google imaged 'bad hair' and found this picture of Uncle Jesse...let's face it:

I ABOUT DIED!

I, future best selling author of all time in the entire universe, was in love with a mullet. This kind of shocking revelation is NOT how one should have to end a Satuday. I'm just saying.

I'm currently taking deep breaths and trying to focus on what I really wanted to say tonight so if this ends up like my usual crap...let me apologize in advance. I think I have A.D.D.

Earlier this week I was really trying to work out a scene...it wasn't working on the laptop so I grabbed a notebook and tried scribbling some stuff down on paper. I don't know about you guys but writing, like actual using a pen and paper writing - sucks. Made my hand hurt and my arm ache...anyway...

Here I am pacing and jotting and pacing and running my hand through my hair and jotting some more and before I knew it...it was right. The scene, the voice, everything. So I sat back down at the computer and went back to work (my hand had never been so grateful).

Enter Husband (all together: Bless His Heart), who took one look at me and screamed.

Me: What?
BHH: What happened to your hair?
Me: (giving death stare) You really wanna go there?
BHH: (shrugs) I'm just trying to do what's best for my children.

After he went back to his cave I couldn't resist the urge to mosey on down to the potty to check it out myself. Ladies, it made me scream.

I looked like that girl from Dances With Wolves, you know the 'tatanka-kick-ING bird' kidnapped white woman? It was all matty and crazy with bobby pins drooping down and quite frankly just scary.

But you know what? I LOVED IT! Because I had finished my scene and because I was home and it was late at night so no one but me and BHH and Nate (the character from last week who's back from vacation begging me to finish his story - but I'm still bitter so I'm making him wait...he probably LOVES that...) could see.

So the point to yet another long post is: Crazy Ass Bad hair = Good writing for Chellie. Might scare small children and husbands, but it worked.

Who would have thunk it? What about you? Ever looked in the mirror after a hard bout of wrestling with words and thought, "This look really works for me?". What makes your family look at you like they are worried you've gone off the deep end?

Aaaah, the price of creativity....

there be monsters

There are dinosaurs in NTX! Dinosaurs! Did you read that? How cool is that?? Ironically enough, the bones were discovered by a guy who doesn't believe the earth is older than 4000 years. He was out fishing and lo and behold he found bones.

Can you imagine what he said to his wife?

-Hey honey, I found a dinosaur in that creek out back.
-I don't care if you found Jimmy Hoffa, don't be tramping those muddy shoes in my house.

Does this challenge his belief in the earth's age? Who knows. That's not the point of the blog.

Can you believe those bones had been there for all those years, the finder had tramped over them many times, as he said: he thought it was a rebar, and never realized what they were?

How often are we like that in our ideas? How often do we tramp all over something and never realize what it really is? Monsters that inhabit our creative mind that can bring our stories to life, if we'd only recognize them for what they are.

Go forth, and maybe you can find a hidden dinosaur. :)

Ahhh...the sweet smell of change. Change? What Change? We don't need no stinkin' change!

Change is defined as – to become different, or make something or somebody different also to pass or make something pass from one state or stage to another


I’ve often heard the statement that ‘People don’t change.’ And while there are some aspects about a person that might not change greatly, I believe there are many others that can and will change if the circumstances are there. Not always for the good either.

Can a leather deck shoe and petticoat wearing hardened criminal change and become a better person? I don’t know. Some people can only get better by being dead. Some acts are so heinous that only a slow and torturous death involving dull butter knives and the overzealous use of waffle irons is appropriate. And let me be one of the first to volunteer to carry out such acts of punishment. There just isn’t enough vigilante justice being meted out these days. Of course, that’s just my opinion.

So change has been my nemesis lately. It's been the 'Tribble' to my Star Trek adventure. Waiting around every corner, jumping out from behind doors at my family and me. In the last six weeks there’s been a tornado, a death, a funeral, a divorce, a killer snake, a suicidal squirrel, and garden gnomes with an evil glint in their beady black eyes.

Not to mention my BFF took off for parts unknown. (If ‘parts unknown’ were located in Austin.)

So have these changes changed me? You may think the butter knives and waffle irons are a manifestation of my current less than smiley face mood, but fortunately, I’ve always harbored a few constructive homicidal tendencies. My motto has always been ‘Homicide is only acceptable if it’s for a good cause,’ and if it’s kept mostly between the pages of a book. So I’ll be killing off a few unsavory characters in a few chapters.

But this has me thinking about what sort of changes (tortures) to throw at my characters. I don’t want to use anything as blasé as I’ve been dealing with. After all, I'm writing a book, not scripting the next episode of Dr. Phil.

No, the situations need to be exciting, scary, shocking, and life altering not to mention worthy of a Lifetime Movie of the week. Although I do think I could use the killer gnomes. Those are appropriate in any situation. Just take ‘There Will Be Blood’ for instance. If there’d been some killer gnomes in that movie I think it would have made more sense and it would have totally explained Daniel Day Lewis’ nasty behavior. We could forgive him for being a jerk if he was being chased around the oil rigs by potato faced gnomes wielding butter knives and waffle irons.

So how will you torture your characters, and better yet, how will they take it? Will they be curled up in a ball sucking their thumbs? Hiding in the closet with a bottle of sparkling water and some nutritional power bars? Or will they come out swinging ala Rambo or one of the Gabor sisters?


Disclaimer: Opinions and thoughts expressed are not necessarily shared by the members of this blog.

It's Wednesday and I need chocolate...

Mmmmmm.



Now that I have my chocolate fix, let's talk about writer's loops.



Specifically, let's talk about loop junkies. You know... the ones who are constantly on the loop and have to make a comment on everything that comes across.


I currently belong to three writer's loops. All are great sources of information about writing, editors, agents, publishers...pretty much anything a writer would want to know. Lately I have noticed that the same people chime in with their opinions on every little thing.


You would think after one person asks a simple punctuation question that is answered by another loop member, fifteen other people wouldn't have to respond with the same answer.




On one loop, a couple of weeks ago, at least fifty people got on to bitch about their GH scores. Maybe three people said anything original or helpful. This week they're on to how RWA handles editor/agent appointments. Again, a few thoughtful comments and a lot of people saying the same thing over and over again.



Another loop that I'm on the moderator has to come on every day and remind loop members not to use the loop to congratulate other loop members and to do so through private email. Seems like a simple request to me. Is that too much to ask?



IMO, if you can't contribute something constructive, stay off the loop and use the extra time you have to actually WRITE YOUR NOVEL.

So why do I even bother? As a relatively new writer, I have gained insight from the helpful comments of more experienced writers on the loop. I just resent having to wade through all the crap to get to something useful.

In the mean time, I will continue to exercise my index finger by repeatedly hitting the delete button. This somehow gives me a strange sense of satisfaction.

do somethin' while you're doin' nothin'

from uncle rico's lips to your eyes.

this is my advice for what to do when you:

a.) have a lack of motivation to write

b.) have life interruptions that prevent you from writing

c.) get stuck with a scene, chapter, or conflict

do somethin' while you're doin' nothin'.

um, what does that mean?

it means when you're fixing dinner, sorting laundry, swiffering the floor - you can still be writing. yeah right ... how do you figure that? no, there isn't a laptop that will hang around your neck so you can type as if it were a guitar keyboard. you don't need a laptop to write. you don't even need a pen and paper. you just need your creative little head!

example. this weekend biscuit and i went to the rangers game. now, i enjoy baseball, going to the games, watching all the people (getting great character ideas). but, by about the fourth inning i'm usually ready to go. however, i made it to the seventh inning this weekend! how? because as i stared at the field (and the cute little - tight - pants ball players wear), i was writing scenes in my head. i was plotting, thinking of how/where i could interject more conflict. when i sit down at my laptop i want to maximize my writing time, so i dang well better know what i want to say beforehand.

so, here are some examples of when you could do somethin' while you're doin' nothin':

1. driving to work

2. watching sports with your boo

3. walking your dog

see, there're lots of opportunities every day where you can get some writing done, even if you're not sitting at your designated writing space.

just don't live too much back in 82.

Insane In The Membrane

Ever had a character quit on you? Ever been trucking along, eighty seven and a half pages along and he just looks you in the eye and says, "I'm done."?

No? Me either...until Friday.

I was sitting here just minding my own business trying to work out another complicated scene between this dynamic couple, I mean there was a dog AND a baby - everything that is supposed to be right in a manuscript - and HERO looks up at me and...

Okay - simple disclaimer - I'm not crazy. I don't have a muse that taps me on the shoulder and inspires me to do things. I don't technically become the characters I create. I kinda sit up on a shelf and look down on them in their scene and kinda tell them what to say and how I want them to say it. I don't think that's crazy. Now back to our story...

...HERO looks up at me and says "You're out of your mind. I can't do this. This is not me."

Excuse me? Who created you? You will be as I say you are, damn it.

(I'm a little intimidated at this point because he approaches my 'shelf' and he's a really big guy.)

"I don't even like this girl anymore. She's argumentative and border line crazy. She's not the girl I supposedly fell in love with." (that's HERO talking) "You either fix this shit or I quit."

And you know what? He did. He just walked out the door of my mind and left me feeling like I'd lost my best friend. And you know what else? He was right. The HEROINE was ALL wrong for him. She was a bitch and - get this - Hero? He was insecure. INSECURE. Billy Bad Ass was INSECURE.

HEROINE even went so far as to say that to him and he agreed. On paper, in dialogue.

I don't know about you but I'm thinking that's what broke HERO. An alpha would never admit that in dialogue, heck I don't even think they'd acknowledge period.

So, after much consideration I've decided to give HERO a vacation (not that he gave me much of choice) and I've sent HEROINE to the loony bin so she can get treatment for her bi-polar disorder. Hopefully she'll be willing to share with me those wonderful reality altering meds that I only get when I fly

I'm learning from it and trying to coax HERO back...but he's really pissed and not answering my calls. Probably might have to hire some hookers and a midget to get him back in the game...I'm just sayin'.

Yeah, so maybe I am crazy.

So: Has this ever happened to you? Have any of your characters ever staged such a rebellion? Have you ever had that moment where you read what you wrote and wondered if you'd sniffed something you shouldn't have before you wrote it?

Motivation

This ties in to Angie's blog, which was great, BTW! For me, motivation is the main problem. Or lack thereof. It's so much easier to pick up a book than to write. Sure, the ideas are there, but do I really want to take the time to put them on "paper"?

Too often that answer is no.

Sometimes the stress of living gets in the way of the words. In moments like these, I wonder why I'm trying to be in this business when the butt avoids the chair like repelling magnets. Lately I'm having a huge motivation issue, due in part to stress in my life. But I need to get over it, how can I expect to be an author if I can't find the motivation?

And I really want to be published. Which is motivation in itself.

What's your motivation to write?

Is that writer's block in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?

Writing can be a difficult and solitary business. Some days are great and you get several pages written or revised, but other days... it feels like trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat. Rejection comes by the truck loads some days.

There is often a tremendous amount of self-doubt which can cause what some people call writer’s block. Other people don’t believe in writer’s block. I envy those people.

Here are a few tips to overcome writer’s block or whatever you want to call the thing that keeps you from getting those words on the page.

1. Make the goals smaller and attainable. Write only one page a day, or even a paragraph, instead of being overwhelmed by trying to write a whole chapter. If you can write the whole chapter that’s great but don’t try to eat the whole elephant in one bite. Books are written one word at a time – one page at a time.

2. Give yourself permission to write absolutely anything and to write it badly. When we expect to write everything perfectly the first time, it can create a huge stumbling block because we can’t imagine writing anything good enough. Get rid of the inner critic and give yourself permission to write badly. Then just write. You might surprise yourself with how good your writing really is.

3. Be accountable to someone else. Check in with another writer friend or someone who’s interested in your work and keep them updated with your progress. This works best if both parties are dedicated and keep it going.

4. Get some exercise. You may not believe that this works, but it’s amazing how getting those endorphins pumping and oxygen to the brain can energize you and get the ideas rolling. Just go for a walk or a jog around the neighborhood.

5. Start anywhere. Don’t get bogged down trying to come up with the perfect first line, just jump right into the middle or the end.


And while no one wants to dwell on their fears and self-doubts, I do think it can be a good idea to talk them out with a friend. Sometimes another perspective is all you need to get motivated and start writing again. They may have the same fears and together you can overcome them.

Do you ever have writer’s block? If so, how do you get past it? Is there someone who helps talk you through the dry spells?

subplot

i've been mulling this one over for quite some time. like, is subplot a necessity? does subplot really add value? does subplot subtract from the plot?

i admit, some books i read i skip right over subplot because i'm more interested in the heroine and hero. i don't want a long delay for seeing what happens next with the two characters i care about the most.

now, i think that if the subcharacters impact the main characters directly, then yes, they are valuable. but, if it's just some unrelated people that have little to do with the h & h - the substory is simply running parallel to the main one - then chances are, i don't give a flip.

so, with the story i'm working on i had to think this through because i'm not a big subplot person - because i'm not a big subplot reader. this time i made myself add in this sub-bitch who is going to stir up some drama, or rather, conflict. but sub-bitch directly impacts my h & h and she'll go on a journey/transformation of her own.

i think it's good to do something out of your comfort zone in regard to writing. i realized i just needed to write subcharacters that the reader will care about almost as much as they will my h & h. and although it's hard to care about a sub-bitch, i think by the end the reader will (hopefully) feel she added value rather than took away from the time it took to read about her.

thoughts on subplots, subcharacters? thumbs up, thumbs down? like 'em, hate 'em? take 'em or leave 'em? must have, who cares?

Time

I really admire those writers who do it all. 2-4 books a year, family, favorite causes. Where do they find all the time? Do these women sleep?

If I don't get 7-9 hours of sleep a night, I'm not fit for shooting. Let alone writing. But some authors seem to thrive on it. Their work doesn't seem to suffer, their families seem happy, their favorite cause is glad to have them around. Something has to give.

Maybe they are speed writers. Or don't need sleep. Either way, I'm really impressed. Just thinking about getting published where you are expected to write 2 books a year is already giving me the jitters. I don't want to be one of those people who are so busy doing things that I have no time to myself. I have a great need to have alone time.

What about you? Are you Superwoman or Time-Alone Woman? Do you like what you are, or wish you belonged in the other camp?

What's your character flaw?

So all these characters in the books we read and write have to be well rounded, fully fleshed out and interesting. That's a pretty tall order to fill. I know some actual people who don't seem to be fully fleshed out human beings. They have less personality than their cardboard cutouts.

But in writing it's super important to make these characters jump off the page. So while the characters have to be sympathetic and likeable or hateable in the case of the villian, they also have to have flaws. And some characters have major flaws. JR Wards vampires all have some major curse or problem to overcome. JD Robb's, Eve Duncan, has serious intimacy issues. Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas has issues surrounding a less than stellar childhood and the death of someone close to him. Odd is a fry cook with no particular skills beyond making incredibly fluffy pancakes yet again and again he overcomes adversaries so powerful, and he does it in the most creative ways. He doesn't carry any sort of weapon, instead he relies upon the necessary item to be available when he needs it -- whether it's a rubber snake or a live one.

Ok back to the topic. The characters must have some sort of flaw to make him/her intersting -- otherwise they're boooring. They can't be perfect at everthing. They have to completely mess some stuff up or it's just not believable. Take Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum -- she always blows up at least one car per book and she eats too many sweets, which creates the need for her to keep the top button of her jeans undone so that she can wear them.

In Kresley Cole's 'A Hunger Like No Other' (It's a great book!) the hero is nearly insane when the book opens up because he's been tortured for years with no end. I don't want to give too much away if you haven't read it but he has a major character arc by the end.

It makes the character interesting and unpredictable.

So flesh out those characters and give them some flaws. One of my main character flaws is procrastination. Uuuugh.