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| Harry seeing his parents in the Mirror of Erised |
My youngest, who's nearly six, has a full-blown Harry Potter obsession. Most of it is channeled via Lego, but there is also dressing up like the boy wizard and now writing his own version of the first few books: it's preschool Harry Potter fanfic!
(This is my third go-around through J.K. Rowling's series with each of my children. Each time I marvel at what a storyteller she is. What an imagination to come up with all those characters, quirky spells, Quidditch... the list goes on.)
Anyway, youngest was drawing his pictures and I was taking dictation. The page we were working on was about the Mirror of Erised (Desire backwards) in which characters can see what they most desire. For Harry, it's his dead parents; for Ron, it's being Head Boy and Quidditch captain--the desire of a younger sibling to escape from the shadows of his older brothers. For Dumbledore--well, Dumbledore claims he sees a pair of socks. But you can never quite trust that Dumbledore, can you?
As my young artist explained all this, I had a flash of inspiration. Often, it takes me a whole first draft to figure out what a character truly desires. What if, right at the beginning of the process, I wheeled in their very own Mirror of Erised, sat them before it, and asked them to tell me what they saw?
There's something about this technique--sort of like interviewing your characters--that appeals to me. I think I'll try it the next novel I write. I'll let you know how it goes!
What techniques (or tricks!) do you use to excavate your character's desires?
(P.s. I'm reviewing New Zealand author Susan Brocker's historical MG novel, The Drover's Quest--which I loved--on Project Mayhem today. If you want to win a copy, head on over.)
Ha! What a great and simple technique! In some mss I've written, that's completely clear from the start, but in others, it's not, really. You've got me thinking, Michael.
ReplyDeleteOoooh. That is a very good idea, Michael. Of course, I usually find something like that out over the course of the first draft. If I ask at the beginning of the process, I'm liable to get a lie ... like Dumbledore's socks. However, it might help me hone the second draft.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michael! I'm at the very beginning of a new novel and I think I'll do this!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great technique for both first drafts and revisions, Michael; thank you for posting. Would the Don see anything in the mirror? Aloha!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great technique for both first drafts and revisions, Michael; thank you for posting. Would the Don see anything in the mirror? Aloha!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great technique for both first drafts and revisions, Michael; thank you for posting. Would the Don see anything in the mirror? Aloha!
ReplyDeleteFirst, having lost my mom when I was young, there are several parts of HP I cannot read without crying. The Mirror of Erised is certainly one of them, and I completely agree that it is a shining example of JK Rowling's skill as a storyteller.
ReplyDeleteAs far as crafting my own characters, I generally am pretty fast and loose. I do outline, but mostly for plot, as characters come to me somewhat fully formed. That being said, I'm working on something new, still just in the brainstorming stage, in which I have over 10,000 words of brainstorming, easily a fourth of that is just about three MCs are a few side-characters. I've never sat them down of front of this kind of mirror, but I do think it's something worth thinking about.
Interesting comparison. I like it! And your kids are in good company. My out-of-college daughter has friends who dress up as characters in the movies and get together for Harry Potter night. LOL
ReplyDeletewhat a great family you have....doing all of this together...bright kids....must be in the dna
ReplyDeleteI will try this method....thanks
OMG! I totally didn't clue in that Erised is desire spelled backwards.
ReplyDeleteIt would be so much easier if I had that mirror for figuring out my characters' desires. That would save a lot of time on rewrites. :)