How to write a crime novel – Developing Characters
Pauline Rowson has been hailed as "redefining the genre of police drama” by setting it against the atmospheric backdrop of the ever changing sea. Her cops are tough yet fallible.
Pauline Rowson discusses how she creates her characters
Creating a likeable, interesting and complex main character, one the reader can have empathy with, one they want to trust, feel his/her pain and disappointments, root for throughout the story is the key to creating a riveting read and a successful crime series.
But it's not just the main character it's also the supporting cast, the villains and the walk-on parts who all need characteristics that are believable even if they are eccentric. The cast must be real to the writer and therefore real to the reader.

I draw up character profiles for each of the main and secondary characters, some might be sketchier than others. But that doesn’t matter because it isn’t until I start putting dialogue into their mouths and have them walking around and interacting with people that they come alive. Until then they are just notes on a piece of paper. But those notes can be added to as my characters start to take shape through my writing.
The characters’ actions drive the plot. The surprises, twists and turns all spring from the characters' motivations and as I write I find ideas occurring to me that I hadn’t previously considered. I sometimes discover that someone I thought was going to be a minor character turns out to be much more interesting when I write his part, and a major character becomes boring and sometimes unnecessary, if that happens then I cut him out.
As I write I continually ask myself questions. What will this character do in this situation? What will he/she do next? I throw out more lines around that spider gram. I shape and reshape the characters. I put them in difficult or unusual situations, and as I do so the story unfolds and the tension builds.

"A crisply written, cleverly plotted procedural with a nice twist, Rowson’s latest also continues the intriguing saga of Andy’s search for the mother who disappeared in mysterious circumstances when he was a child." Booklist.

"A fast paced excellent mystery, with an interesting diverse set of characters, and an intriguing hook at the end that has me eagerly awaiting the next instalment in this series.Highly recommended." Mystery People




POSTED BY: UNKNOWN
JANUARY 21ST, 2014 @ 11:33:54 UTC
JANUARY 21ST, 2014 @ 11:33:54 UTC
Comments
RE: How to write a crime novel – Developing Characters
Hi Pauline,
I like the concept of a circle. I agree that things change as the story moves forward.
Richard Brawer
www.silklegacy.com
COMMENT BY RICHARD BRAWER, JANUARY 22ND, 2014 @ 16:46:35 UTC
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