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Did anyone else used to watch the TV show, Ally
McBeal? If so, you may remember a therapist
suggesting that each person should find “their
song”—the one with a message that resonates
with them.
(Okay, I confess, I picked one. It was “Jellicle
Cats” from the musical Cats. Remember it?
It had a peppy beat. And words like, “When
you fall on your head, do you land on your feet?”
It was definitely a “can do” song, and
never failed to lift my spirits. Besides, I’m
a Leo—I had to choose a cat theme.)
All right, enough side-tracking, this article
is not about musical reminiscences, but about
a workshop I attended at the 2003 Emerald City
Conference. Leah Vale talked about voice, and
provided a tool I’d never run into before:
the personal motto.
Your heroine and hero should each have a strong
voice that grabs the reader’s attention.
To clarify the character’s voice, Leah gives
each one a motto, and that motto is a statement
of their core romantic conflict.
Early in the book the reader should get a sense
of what the heroine’s motto is, and the hero’s.
This gives the reader insight into their issues.
It also means that the author knows what each
character’s black moment and epiphany will
have to be.
She gave examples from her own books. In one,
the heroine’s motto was “If I work hard
enough, I’ll be loved” and the hero’s
was “Pain can be outrun.” In another,
the heroine’s was “Cinderella was delusional
(i.e., no rich man was ever going to give the
heroine a happily-ever-after)” and the hero’s
was “If you never lose control, you can never
be hurt.”
Obviously, the motto reflects the character’s
attitude. It shows in their actions and dialogue.
The author’s task is to throw challenges
at the character that are designed to prove the
motto wrong (i.e., conflict!). Gradually the character
learns and grows, until finally they’re pushed
so far they have to reject their old motto. That’s
the healing process, when they realize where the
motto came from, and that they’ll have to
change because they want to be different. In the
end, they’ll likely find a new motto.
I’ve just finished the first draft of a
women’s fiction novel called Finding Isadora.
To test Leah’s tool, I decided to see if
I could identify my heroine’s and hero’s
mottos. Isadora’s: “Careful planning
is the path to happiness.” Gabriel’s:
“(Re commitment and family) Been there, done
that—and did it badly. Won’t ever do
it again.”
Gee, that wasn’t too hard. I guess I know
my characters pretty well. And that brings me
to the big question. What’s my own motto?
How well do I know myself? And is my motto something
rooted in the past, that it’s time to outgrow?
Hmm. Who knew that this workshop would teach life
lessons, as well as writing ones?
Susan Lyons is a member of GVC.
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