Please join me in welcoming author Carrie Butler to speak with us today about writing her new book, Strength. Not only is she the first guest to our new blog, but she is also going to share with us the art of using character 'contrast'.
Please give Carrie a warm welcome to our blog...
A Beautiful Contrast
Thank you for having me, Stephanie! I almost started this post by saying, "Webster defines 'contrast' as a juxtaposition of dissimilar elements." Then I realized that sounded like the beginning of a graduation speech and nixed it. Seriously, I couldn't shake the whole gowned, tasseled image. Who wants to read that?
So, instead, I'm just going to start it like this: You know who loves highlighting differences? I do!
(Cheesy, but genuine, I assure you.)
Whenever I'm writing, I try to draw strong physical and temperamental contrasts. In fact, if you read my debut novel, Strength, you'll probably notice it. Details are always playing off of each other. My heroine is a doll-faced spitfire with a violent streak; my hero is a hyper-masculine hunk who tries oh-so-hard to be gentle. She's 5'2,'' and he's 6'4''. She's confrontational, and he's reserved. She leads a normal human life, and he—
Well, I shouldn't go there. *Grins* Let's just say they clash at first, but they end up complementing each other in beautiful and unexpected ways.
Actually, that's the best thing about using contrast, if you ask me. When you put characters with obvious differences together, they have to adjust to each other. Lessons are learned, concessions are made, and they both grow as a result. It's a dynamic character environment, and that makes for an excellent read! :)
We would like to thank Carrie, once again, for stopping by. We can't wait March 14th, when she joins us again for an interview during her Strength Book Tour.
Follow Carrie Butler Online
You can check out Carrie's new book, Strength, available March 7th, 2013 at Goodreads.com.
What an interesting concept! :) There are so many elements to consider when writing a book. But I will leave that to the experts! Can't wait to read.
ReplyDeleteThank you for having me, Stephanie! It was fun. :)
ReplyDeleteI love Carrie's spirit! And contrasts in a relationship certainly can be lovely. Thanks for a great guest post!
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