What I Learned about Character Development from Vicki Delany

Recently, I attended the Sisters in Crime - Grand Canyon Writers’ presentation featuring the fabulous Vicki Delany on Character Development. If you haven’t checked out her multiple series yet, you need to add them to your to be read pile. (She also writes as Eva Gates). Here is some of her great advice.

• A series is a chance for characters to grow. When you start, you’re in the head of a new character for the first time, and it takes time to learn about him/her. You don’t always have this luxury in a stand-alone novel.

• Trust yourself as a writer.

• Read all the time. Curiosity and reading are important for writers.

• In many cozy mysteries, authors introduce a lot of characters at once. This can be tricky. Make sure that the characters’ names don’t look or sound alike. You don’t want to confuse readers.

• In fiction, writers often drop or call out names in conversation more than what happens in real life. This is often done to make it clear to the reader who is talking.

• Be careful if you write dialogue with an accent. It can easily be overdone.

• Names are a strong indicator of age. Use online baby name lists from specific years to see what names were popular during an era.

• If your sleuth has friends or sidekicks, their likes and personalities should be different. They should complement the traits of your protagonist.

• In mysteries, sidekicks give the sleuth someone to talk through the case with, and while they don’t solve the crime, they often offer suggestions that puts the protagonist on the right path.

• A sidekick also offers the author a way to break up internal dialogue of the main character.

How a Character List Can Help Your Writing

A list of key character and places (Sometimes called a Character bible) can help you keep details consistent, especially if you are writing a series. It takes a bit of time to create one, but it is invaluable for your writing and revising. It will also save you time if your editor or publisher asked for a detailed character list.

I created a spreadsheet with a series of tables in it, so I can sort the data according to topic. The first has all the characters. I made separate columns for first and last names. Then I created a column for each book for descriptions and important details.

• Every named character gets a row in the chart.

• I fill the cell with a color to indicate that she/he doesn’t appear in a book. Some of my town folk pop in and out during the series.

• I also color code the victims and killers.

• I put a lot of detail in the spreadsheet about the characters. It helps me work through the backstory, and I have the information if I need it; however, all the details don’t always end up the books.

• The chart also helps me not to reuse names that I have previously used.

• Make sure to update your chart when you change character names.

• My list has been invaluable with helping me keep the spelling of names/nicknames consistent.

My second table in the spreadsheet lists key locations. (In a separate document, I usually make myself a small map of the town, so that when I talk about places or give directions, they’re consistent.)

I also have a third chart for my cozy series that shows what recipes I included in each book.

Then, when I get ready to start writing the next book in the series, I make a copy of that spreadsheet, add a new column for the next title and add the new and repeat characters.

What's in a Name?

A lot goes into naming a character, especially for one in a series who will be around for several books. The name has to fit the character.

It should also be pronounceable. Or if you think it’s a difficult name, give the reader a hint of how you want it pronounced. I named a character “Roni” (short for Veronica) once. In my head, she was Roni (Rah-knee). Some of my beta readers called her “Rhoney” like “Rice-a-roni.”

Avoid naming multiple characters with similar names. It makes it hard for readers to keep them separate (e.g. Kris, Chris, Christian, Kristen, Christie).

My friend, the late Kathleen Mix, had a trick for naming characters in her books. She made a character list, and only one character per book could have a name with the same letter. She could have an Anastasi, Brooke, and Caitlyn, but not an Alfred and an Annie.

When I hear an interesting name, I jot it down and add it to my working ideas list.

You can Google the social security baby name lists by year. This helps if you want to know what names were popular in a particular year.

When I’m watching sporting events, I look at the rosters for interesting names (first and last).

Keep a character list for each book. This helps me from repeating names. I tend to name a lot of minor characters Bob and Joe for some reason. I also record character traits in my chart, so I can keep them consistent book to book.

I will often pay homage to pop culture in some of my character names. There are references to Van Halen and Wham! in Secret Lives and Private Eyes. In “Diggin’ up Dirt” in To Fetch A Thief, the nosy neighbors are named in honor of a namesake from the TV show “Bewitched.” My PI, Delanie Fitzgerald gets her last name from my favorite American author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and her agency is named for Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon.

What else would you add to my list about naming characters?