Flour to Kneed Characterization

 Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs.  Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger.  If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves.  ~Dale Carnegie ~

Behind every great character is their past. What made them who they are at the moment you open the front cover of their story. I'm talking about behind the backstory, molding experiences not included in the actual manuscript. And as much as I'd planned on exploring this topic in a series beginning today, it will have to wait until next Tuesday. But there is purpose in using this lead for today's post.

Most of you know I'm a major ice hockey fan, that my dad coached for years, and that three of my four children currently still play. I've spent most of my childhood and now adulthood in an ice rink--part of my backstory. So it should come as no surprised that I was glued to the TV on Wednesday night watching the Boston Bruins play Game 7 against the Vancouver Canucks for the Stanley Cup Championship.

I tip my hat to the Bruins, who are 2011 Stanley Cup Champions!! 

Credit for photo

This team's journey took them through an entire season of ups and downs, three game 7 series, and finally to winning the coveted crown of Stanley Cup Champions. Each played a part, moving them forward in their story. Every element of your character's backstory is designed to serve the same purpose. If one part doesn't do it's job or is muddled, the ultimate goal can't be accomplished. For the Boston Bruins, that goal was winning the Stanley Cup. For you as a writer, it's crafting irresistible characters as rich on the inside as on the outside. A writer can begin stacking the odds in their favor of achieving that goal even before the character starts breathing on the page--and that's behind the backstory.

So I leave you with the quote above and this brief post to ponder. Apply it to yourselves as writers and also to your characters. You are both valuable and worth it. 

(I'll be in NYC & Atlantic City next week with the hubs for a conference he must attend. I'll try my best to pay you visits and continue working. Enjoy your weekend!!)    

The A-Z Challenge is ICY

I'm going for simply today. When thinking about the letter I, Ideas and Inspirations first came to mind. I've written many posts about what inspires our writing. I'm kind of a sap like that. I've also explored where ideas come from and how to formulate them. (Gosh, love it when I sound smart. Trust me; it's all a facade.)


But there's one 'I' word that melts my heart above all others. Ice. I.C.E.

Son #2, Jake, helping out our youngest, CJ.

I am an Ice hockey mom. It's one of those labels that describes who I am as a person. Other moms out there know we wear many hats. We are tagged with many titles. This is one I am proud to wear.

My dad was a youth hockey coach back in the days when most rinks were outside. When a local rink was built, hockey practices were usually before the crack of dawn and games where at the same ungodly hours. My younger brother played. So basically I was a rink rat.

Nothing changed as I moved into Motherhood.

It was only natural for me to introduce my children to the game of ice hockey. And yes, they all love it. Devotion to my kids and ultimately the game has helped mold the person I am today. I've sacrificed much--and yes, have been frozen on many occasions. For me, it's all been a part of growing-up-Sheri.

And if you take a gander over to Adventures That Score, you'll find Kris Yankee--another hockey mom!

Links to other participants

Do you have an activity or family tradition so ingrained within your psyche that it's influenced who you are as a person? How can we as writers achieve this kind of depth with our characters?